Path Towards Absolution
by Midnight Hour Blue
Summary: From scrutiny to heartbreaking losses after his fall from grace, Tahno contemplates ending it all 6 months after the fact. A motorcycle-bound cop thwarts his efforts when he attempts to jump into the waters of one of Republic City's river channels. An officer he's familiar with—an ex-rival from a former life. Full description inside.
1. Chapter 1

_Okay, let's get this little tidbit out of the way first: _

_I posted this story once before, back in August-September or thereabouts. At the time I was dealing with some personal struggles (my grandma's passing, amongst other things) and took this down due to my then-anxiety. After much consideration I've decided to repost this story under a different name. I'll also be posting in much slower pieces-and shorter length chunks at that._

_Anyways, I hope you come along for the ride, and the description for this is below, and below that the first chapter._

_Enjoy!_

XoXoX

Description: After his fall from grace, Tahno faces many hardships, from scrutiny to heartbreaking losses, and after six months have passed, he's contemplating ending it all. His efforts to end his life are thwarted by a motorcycle-bound cop that just happens to be passing by when he attempts to jump into the waters of one of Republic City's water channels. An officer he happens to be familiar with—an ex-rival from a former life.

The rescue effort brings the former waterbender to Air Temple Island, and leads him down a path involving spirits, the Avatar, Hiroshi Sato, a plan that could bring the world into chaos—and his own redemption.

Picks up six months after the conclusion of Book 1. Diverges away from that point on from Book 2 into an original storyline.

Word count: in total over 200,000

Rating: M (will contain some moral issues, instances of sexual content (my first actual attempt at something of this level), and some violence and language (more so rated for sexual content and swearing, not so much the violence.)

Pairings: (Lets just say it covers the gamut) the list of all instances and eventual pairings:instances/mentions of Masami, slight Tahnorra (if you look for it, more in later chapters), little bit of one-sided Jinora/Tahno, starts off with Makorra, Tahno/Ming, Shaozu/OC, eventual Korrasami and Tahko, BolEska, Pemzin.

Note: the book 2 characters that appear in this are probably pretty OOC, as I was avoiding b2 spoilers when I was writing this to keep the idea original. Besides characters, there are other OOC plot moments from the initial book 2 release, so forgive these please. I'm kind of fond of my interpretations of the characters and events, and hope they won't be minded too much (hell, Unalaq isn't even represented as a villain in this, so talk about completely OOC, huh?) Just thought I'd bring that up as a warning. Most of them don't show up till later (sadly, no Varrick, sorry!), although a couple (Kya) become early pivotal plot runners.

XoXoXoXoXoX

"_Umph!"_

_Pain—harsh impact with the rough textured wall, worn hands grabbing, twisting— _"_Please, please! I'll give you whatever you want! Money, whatever—just take it!" _

_A pitiful cry made by a voice that was shaking, terrified—desperate. A voice that was usually so strong, so proud, so often with a tinge of superiority—it was now a voice reduced to begging, pleading. _

_More twisting—and with a harsh shove, the owner of the voice's back was now being pressed against the rough surface of the wall by those same rough hands. The hands of an individual caught up in vengeance. _

"_It's not money I want from the likes of __**you.**__" The man's voice dripped with fury. "It's payback for what you've done wrong. That's what I want from __**you.**__" _

_Pitiful cries could be heard echoing off the walls of that narrow alleyway, pleading for mercy. But the sounds of bustling traffic on the streets and walkways muffled the pleas to those oblivious passersby who happened by the outside of that alleyway. The broken young man recognized that his efforts were futile; nobody was going to step in and help him. _

_The desperate young man struggled to break from this other person's hold, but theirs was too strong—and he too weak against their likes. The way the other man now had him restrained— he realized there was no opportunity for him to break for freedom. _

"_Please, I beg of you—don't do this!" _

"_After what you've done—you don't deserve sympathy." The spoken words were dripping with venom and deep-seated hatred. The tone in which the words were uttered held their own conviction—there was no sympathy held by this individual in regards to his __**victim**__. "You only deserve whatever's coming your way; it's the way karma works. Besides," The man's lips curled up into a twisted smirk. "You might actually enjoy this." _

"_Please! I'm sorry for what I've done!" the young man's eyes were pleading, rimming with tears. He struggled—even knowing the effort was futile, but his wrists were held fast by their restraints. "You don't have to do this!" _

_The captive young man looked pleadingly into his captor's eyes, trying to gain some semblance of sympathy. But the effort was fruitless, as the man's eyes were glazed over— possessed even—and sightless to his exact existence. As if seeing right __**through **__his captive and seeing something else in his place— _

_Loud taps from water dripping nearby were accentuated in the intensity of the moment; his ice blue eyes shot open to their fullest extent in horror when he realized his pleas were only falling on deaf ears. Tears poured down his face in vast numbers from those wide ice blues. They were genuine tears—tears he had no control over as they continued to wet his face and drip from his chin. _

_He heard his assailant throwing words at him—nasty-sounding, unpleasant words practically right in his face—but his mind wouldn't allow him to register them. His mind was too fraught over what he was going through—weighed down by the full gravity of the situation as it began to sink in. _

_The tears continued to flow even as those once vivid ice blues clenched themselves shut; barely a moment after they were closed he felt the abrupt onset of extreme pain, intensified by a sharp yank of his hair— _

Tears struck the surface of the waters pooling below the bridge; beams of sunlight had been dancing upon those peacefully stirring waters before the droplets had struck the fluid's tension. Now, those beams danced upon the ripples created in the impact, enriching a show that enchanted the fixation of the observer's gaze.

The observer's ice-blue irises watched those gracefully churning currents with unadulterated agony, pain still lingering for the young man at thoughts of what he used to be capable of doing. Thoughts of the loss of the very talent he used to possess that could control the current of those flowing pools beneath his feet—the ability to bend that fluid element to his own will. Several months had nearly passed by since the incident that led to the loss of that innate ability, what to him had felt like the wrenching away of a part of his very soul.

Before that day, he had been heading down a path full of promise: the promise of fame, fortune—of fans and admirers and a secure, cushy future lying before him. The proud captain of a four-time championship probending team...he and his two teammates had been living the high life.

How he had been a fool to believe that it would last.

Those same devoted admirers and fans that had followed he and his teammates in their heyday—he now found them casting looks of pity his way whenever he managed to pass them by. He would hear them murmuring their sympathies as they cast short glances in his direction—he didn't want their sympathy or their pity. But as much as their thoughts and actions harshly stung the once proud young man, it didn't hurt as much as the ire some of his former competition directed his way—

As he thought about those glory days and the rude awakening that caused it all to crumble, he recognized that he and his teammates hadn't been model competitors in the probending arena. Some of those people that hadn't been fans of he or his team, or just the whole probending establishment altogether—from time to time they called him out on their performance in the arena. _Cheaters, losers, frauds: _he had heard those words and many other more derogatory slurs thrown his way by spiteful folk livid by he and his teammates' actions during the probending tournament.

In a way he felt like _maybe _he deserved it, but at the same time—he also felt that he didn't. He stood at the ledge of that bridge overlooking the water, reflecting on everything that had

happened to him in the span of the past several months.

He once believed that he could prove to himself that he was above contemplating such thoughts as suicide; even after being practically broken and cast away from his life the way it was in it's former glory, he thought to gather up the broken pieces and try to make something of himself with this new identity he had to accept was his. Live his life as an ex-bender— nonbender.

But it wasn't an easy transition; he had had to stumble and reach his lowest points before he could even begin to look up—forward. Struggle—that's what he had done—_struggle_—

He had struggled through many a sleepless night fighting with nightmares of Amon having him restrained at center stage while he begged and pleaded with the masked madman to spare him. He struggled even more with the thoughts of being pushed off the platform into the _foreboding _waters several feet below—how he, in a state of shock, had almost not gathered his wits together enough to swim to the surface when his head sunk below it. He couldn't help thinking about how that watery moat could have almost become the place where he spent his last breath. It scared him to think he had almost _drowned _in that all too familiar pooling of water.

But what had been the most mentally taxing for him were the types of ridicule he received

from those that hadn't been fond of him or his accomplishments. He contemplated over the gravity of that and everything else as he kept his eyes trained on the water below.

XoXoX

The getaway vehicle veered around the sharp turn at the intersection ahead, hugging the curb tightly as its tires squealed and pedestrians scrambled out of the way to avoid getting hit.

Mako made a mental note to make sure he made a cleaner turn than the criminals he was pursuing, to prove to himself and the onlookers that he wasn't going to be as reckless as those waterbending outlaws were willing to be. He made the turn a few seconds later, as cleanly as he had mentally told himself to be, and with little error.

The criminals he was pursuing were waterbenders who had abused their bending abilities to take advantage of an honest shopkeeper who was going about his usual routine, trying to sell his wares. The trio had stolen several goods from the merchant's shop, roughing up the shopkeeper before taking off with the stolen goods in tow.

After the _Amon incident_, more emphasis was put on protecting law-abiding citizens—both benders and nonbenders alike—from being abused by the reckless behavior of benders using their talents against them, whether it was from them causing mischief or all out breaking the law. Mako knew how the criminal minds from the dark underbelly of the city thought, giving him an advantage in understanding their motives so he could act more swiftly and smoothly to counter them. That knowledge had proven very useful when he had accepted the position as a law enforcement officer.

While Korra was away on her _spiritual quest_—an Avatar duty Mako wasn't able to personally get involved in—and his brother Bolin kept busy running the probending team the other two had left him to tackle, Mako kept busy by devoting himself heavily to his job. It was all he could do to keep from worrying about Korra's safety or about Bolin being able to handle the responsibility they dumped on him when they departed from the team to tackle other external issues. He often worried that they'd unceremoniously dumped too much responsibility on the young earthbender's plate; would Bolin be able to handle all the pressure or end up failing miserably?

Mako was taken from his thoughts when a water whip almost wiped him clear from his cycle. He managed to avoid it by swerving to the side. The back hatch of the getaway vehicle was hanging open; the delinquent waterbenders were bracing themselves at the opening, trying to use their elemental ability in an effort to knock their pursuer off their trail to make a cleaner getaway. Their efforts caused the vehicle to swing to and fro, barely missing a few startled pedestrians that happened to be unfortunate to come near their path.

Mako kept his eyes glued on the vehicle he was pursuing ahead of him; he was quickly closing the distance between him and the water-manipulating outlaws ahead of him.

The vehicle with the trio of law-breaking benders in it veered around another sharp curve, heading down an avenue towards the waterways that cut through the city nearby. Mako had surmised that they might resort to this tactic, that they would try to use the water running in those channels to their advantage to distract him while making a clean getaway. But Mako wasn't about to allow these waterbending punks get the best of him; being an ex-probender, he knew how to skillfully avoid and evade any water attack they might throw his way.

As his cycle reached the entrance to the bridge the unlawful waterbenders were already halfway across, Mako caught sight of something familiar standing by the ledge. He didn't get a chance to ponder this familiar presence any further because the waterbenders were in full attack mode on him by now, much like he predicted they would be. Pushing those thoughts of familiarity to the back of his mind, Mako continued his pursuit of the waterbending criminals until they were apprehended.

XoXoX

_Every which way, there were cans and bottles strewn about. The tabletop was stained with amber and rouge juices—contents from spilled over beer cans and wine bottles. The rest of the room was a haphazard mess caught in chaotic disarray. In the middle of all that chaos one figure lay slumped against the wall, mind disoriented and only barely aware of the surroundings. _

_A door shifted, the sound of cans crunching being emitted from a source entering through the partially blocked entryway. The slumped figure wasn't of the mindset to invest much thought or interest in the noises being produced, or the individual causing them. His mind was far distanced from the awareness of the surroundings of that room, instead wallowing in the sorrows of his own inner torment. _

_There came a splash of spilled liquid as the footsteps crashed nearby, now too near to ignore. The only acknowledgement that slumped figure administered was a quick glance upwards; bringing his gaze down as quickly as it had risen. _

"_Geez—I can't believe you keep doing this to yourself!"_

"_Ming, damn it—you're making my head hurt. Can't you speak more quietly?" _

"_Your head wouldn't be hurting and your ears wouldn't be so sensitive if you didn't have so much to drink!" Ice blue eyes looked up at Ming standing there, his face contorted in frustration—albeit the fact that everything to his sight was a little blurry. _

"_It's my way of dealing with everything that's happened, so just shut up about it, will ya?" _

"_We're all in the same boat, dealing with the same issues you are—but you don't see either me or Shaozu drowning our sorrows down with liquor, do you?" He felt his teammate's hand rest softly on his shoulder blade. His blurred icy blues shot up. "It doesn't have to be this way. We can get through this together. If you're willing to put in the effort on your part, I'll put in some of my own." Even to his blurred vision, he could see Ming's reassuring smile. _

"_Ming?"_

"_Yeah?" his friend's face leaned in closer so he was able to see him better. There was a _

_momentary pause—a hesitance to speak, and then...a hefty sigh. _

"_I-I'm not just drinking because of what Amon did to me. It's not just about losing my bending—at least...not entirely. Something else's happened, and I—I think I-I need to tell somebody else about it." Ming knelt down on his knees, his hand never leaving his _friend_'s shoulder. He lost that smile he had been wearing a moment before when he heard the crack in the other young man's voice. He shifted to an expression of extreme concern, eyes forever watching his friend. _

"_Whatever it is, you can tell me Tahno. I'm not going to criticize you. I'm your best friend; being there for each other—that's what best friends do." _

_The young man who normally carried himself with a haughty sort of attitude, whose ice-blue irises were usually intense and filled with pride—crumbled right there on the spot, sobbing heavily in the comforting arms of his close teammate. Ming allowed him time to clear his mind of his despair and intoxication before he expected to get an explanation out of him. _

_Ming eventually got that explanation, and after some time passed and his distressed friend managed to piece himself back together, they worked together to get the place back in order. After that, Ming helped him get out of that cloud of depression he'd been suffering under, and _

_helped him find work to keep his mind busy with—as well as pay the bills. Their championship pot winnings were running sparse, and it wouldn't be long before the three were out of funds, and therefore on the streets. And if there was something none of the trio could handle...it was ending up homeless. _

Ming had helped him to rise from his lowest point and move on forward, helped him move away from his drinking problems so that he could become more functional again. Even through fighting with his own demons over the whole ordeal involving Amon, the former earthbender put himself out there to ensure that Tahno didn't fall back into those bad habits that could have cost him everything.

But where was Ming now? Where was he when he was needed the most? He wasn't there, that's what—and he hadn't been there for practically a month now.

Apparently the ex-earthbender hadn't been holding up as well as he made it appear. That had become most apparent when Tahno came home one night after an exhaustive night on the job and found a note resting on the table—which had then led to the grisly discovery in the next room over, hanging at the end of a rope.

_Damn you Ming—how could you leave me like this? _He thought to himself angrily as the tears slipped from the corners of his eyes to fall down to the watery depths below. _We were going to work this out together, damn it! How could you decide to leave me after all that you'd done for me—huh? How in spirits name could you be so selfish? _

Ming had been the one to help him face water again. He had gone a week isolating himself from the substance before the former earthbender—after telling his friend he stunk—had practically dragged him into the shower stall—albeit fully clothed—and forced him to face the wrath of the water pouring down on him. He then resorted to drowning his sorrows in liquor. That other incident had happened during the earlier part of that time span, which had led to him drinking even heavier. And then Ming—playing the hero, the all-mighty savior—came along and pulled him from those depressive patterns.

And now...Ming was gone, dead. It might have been that the former earthbender had been dead inside the day their bending was stripped from the trio; Tahno could never be certain of that fact, considering he'd been so absorbed in his own inner turmoil to even bother noticing that his close friend was also struggling.

_Tahno—I know I said we'd get through this together, but I can't deal with the torment anymore. Even if you won't admit it—it's got to be easier for you. Water might be present all around, but there are ways of avoiding it when you need to. Earth—I couldn't avoid seeing it everywhere. The granite countertops in the kitchen, the stone walkways that lead along the streets...hell—the bridges I have to cross over every day are made of __**earth**__. It's just...too much. I can only hope that someday you'll understand, and can move on for yourself. You deserve happiness—even if you won't admit to yourself that you do. And don't take this as me trying to insult you—I'm not doing this because of you and nothing you've done has led me to this point. If anything...you made these last few months more bearable for me, and...I want you to know that I really appreciated that... _

Ming had left a fairly lengthy note as a last testament to his life before he ceased it away at his own doing. He had gone on to mention something about keeping close with Shaozu, as well as a segment dedicated directly to the former firebender, but Tahno only focused on the part that had been directed towards him.

—_You made these last few months more bearable for me, and...I want you to know that I really appreciated that— _

The former waterbender broke down into a fit of sobbing, not caring then if anyone noticed anymore. The tears flowed freely and in vast quantities down his face to hit the surface of the

waters below.

He was seized from his sobbing when the water from below rose up from the depths in an unnatural arc and whipped itself at a motorcycle bound officer. Tahno was dumbfounded by the maneuver; it took several moments for him to gather his wits and comprehend what really had just happened.

By the time the former waterbender became coherent of the situation, the motorcyclist had avoided the watery strike aimed his direction. As the pursuit moved out of his peripheral and hearing range, he turned back to face the ledge he'd been standing at before, drawn back into the thoughts he'd previously been preoccupied with. He remained completely oblivious to the fact that the motorcyclist had taken notice of him, or the fact that the cycle-bound officer was familiar to him.

XoXoX

"Those waterbenders were being rather persistent, and it was pretty obvious they didn't want to be caught," Mako remarked to his superior after giving his statement of the details on the chase and apprehend. The man, an earthbender who looked young for his forty years of age with his short dark hair lacking even one trace of gray, gave a short laugh before producing a hearty responding smile. His name was Ishio, and he was a pretty easy person to get along with.

Following Lin Beifong's reinstatement as chief after Saikhan chose to resign due to his performance during the Equalist invasion—so he claimed upon departure from the position— Ishio had taken the vacated position as captain on the police force. Ishio was a fairly sufficient metalbender, but he preferred not to resort to using the ability unless he really had to. It was his philosophy, in light of the Anti-bending movement, to limit the use of it as much as possible to remain on fair terms with both factions of the population—benders and nonbenders.

"So it would seem," Ishio stated humorously. "Good job keeping on their trail. That's one more set of criminals we can safely say are off the streets." He clapped one large hand on the young firebender's shoulder before he left to check in with the other officers that held the apprehended benders captive. Mako watched him trail off for a moment longer before heading back towards his bike to take off. The chase had been a long and hard one, and he'd earned a well-needed break.

He headed back along the same course he had come through the city in his pursuit of those three waterbending thieves, taking the route at a casual pace. He waved to a few people at a stop before he was given the signal to pass through the intersection and on his way.

His thoughts wandered back to the events at that first bridge he'd reached during the chase; he had just managed to avoid getting struck by the water whip one of the waterbenders had conjured from the river channel running underneath the bridge. He figured himself lucky that he'd managed to avoid it just in the nick of time, as the maneuver had come very close to knocking him right off his cycle. His thoughts wandered then to a figure he'd seen standing there—one he'd caught a brief glimpse of as he'd driven by. An expression of sheer shock crossing those all-too familiar features—

Just as Mako was coming to the realization that he _knew _whom that figure was, he approached that very same bridge his thoughts had been occupied with a mere moment before. And on that very same bridge, the figure still existed, in the same spot—like he hadn't moved from it since they'd crossed paths earlier.

There was a chance that he hadn't, Mako reasoned, as he slowed his cycle to a stop and he drew closer to the lone male figure looming there at the ledge. It had been several months since he'd seen the young man's face or heard his name, but Mako was certain he was the

same person he suspected him to be.

XoXoX

The water below had been still for some time, those waterbending criminals having moved off to somewhere else to wreck havoc long before. Tahno watched his reflection dance across the peaceful ripples on the surface, seeing a stranger staring back at him. The man in the reflection was not how he remembered himself, the person he was when he was happy—when he felt whole. He saw a man who was worn, tired—at the end of his rope.

And that he was. He was tired, unhappy, and had been for some time now. Ming's departure had taken a lot out of him, and Shaozu had been so busy with his newfound love—a former fan of theirs that the ex-firebender had found something genuine with. Shaozu was so totally enamored with his new love, a sweet girl who was a more recent transplant to the city from the countryside somewhere in the Earth Kingdom that he had little time to interact with the former waterbender anymore.

The distance had created an unwanted sense of isolation—isolation that Tahno wasn't used to and never liked. He used to live for the limelight, shine as the one the spotlight solely focused on—and when all that went away and he found himself alone...it left him feeling fractured inside.

His mind had been contemplating ending it all since the night Ming took his own life, but it hadn't culminated to the point where he was ready to pull it off until this point—until he stepped up to this ledge and pondered over everything that had happened in the last several months. Now—he knew he was ready to make that last leap, let the water that he felt had forsaken him claim him for itself and make his last moments one with the element he once felt his destiny had been intertwined with.

The sound of a motorcycle pulling up nearby barely registered to his awareness, his mind solely focused on joining with the waters below. He was more focused on his actions in that very moment—his hands grasping onto the edge of the railing of the bridge, helping to hoist him up so his feet were standing squarely on the narrow, rocky surface, and then gain his balance as he planned his next move to play out his last scene in life to his own specifications.

He thought he'd had it all so planned out—only to be broken from his suicidal trance at the sound of a familiar voice coming from behind him. The voice had caught his attention—and cost him his concentration.

Tahno turned to see his former rival, the firebender from the Fire Ferrets, standing there looking bewildered as his auburn eyes stared in the former waterbender's direction. The abrupt move and his bewilderment cost Tahno his balance, causing him to become unsteady on the ledge, his arms flailing about in an instinctive attempt to gain it back.

XoXoX

From behind, Mako could tell that the man wasn't quite the same as he used to be. His hair didn't have that distinctive bounce or sheen that the firebender recalled it having. It was, by contrast, looking dull and lifeless, not kempt and well maintained like he remembered. He dismounted from his cycle to get a closer glimpse, to confirm his suspicions.

"Hey, is that you Tahn—" The words had barely slipped from his lips when Mako watched with horror as the suspected former waterbender hoisted himself up onto the bridge railing and steadied his footing on it. Uncertain whether the former Wolfbat was just going to perch himself up there—or if he meant to _jump—_Mako's mind was racing at the possibilities. Sure— he and Tahno had not been on the best terms with one another, but that didn't mean that the firebender wanted to see the former waterbender make an attempt at _ending his life— _

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Mako's exclamation had the raven-haired man doing an abrupt turn his direction in alarm, his distinguishing facial features contorted in shock as his eyes landed on his former rival. The initial shock had sent the former waterbender teetering on the ledge, his arms wind-milling in an instinctive attempt to regain his balance. He didn't have much luck, and plunged over the edge and directly into the waters below.

Without really thinking about it, Mako jumped in after him, making sure to strike the surface at a different angle from where Tahno had hit. The strike of the water's surface was sharp and shocking to the senses, but Mako recovered quickly and began searching the depths of the channel for the submerged raven-haired man.

The waterway was clear enough for him to see under the surface, so it was just a matter of locating where the former waterbender had sunk and then swimming in that general direction to make a grab for him before he drowned. It took some searching, but Mako eventually found him several feet down, floating lifelessly.

Mako reasoned that the drop had rendered the other man unconscious, hence why he'd sunk so quickly and hadn't made an attempt to resurface. He was certain that Tahno was at the very least a decent swimmer; even with his bending gone, the former waterbender had grown up surrounded by water, and certainly still had a personal connection with the element. A person's bending could be stripped from them, but their connection with their element never really left them.

Mako took the several strides that were needed to close the distance between he and the unconscious man, reaching out then and successfully grabbing for the ex-waterbender's arm and slowly dragging him up to the surface. It felt like an eternity before they both broke the surface, and Mako had to struggle to keep Tahno's heavy weight from sinking back under. He looked around desperately for a ledge nearby that he could push the other man's weight up and onto, almost losing hope before discovering an outcropping nearby, to his relief. Mako swam as quickly as he could with the other man in tow towards that outcropping, feeling a wave of relief rush through him as he got the former waterbender successfully up on the ledge.

Mako joined him up on that ledge, taking a moment to gather his breath before checking on the other's condition. The former waterbender's pale features were even paler than usual, and he wasn't breathing. Mako checked for a pulse, feeling somewhat relieved that there was one—albeit the fact that it was beating weakly. Mako struggled to figure out what to do next, when he heard a commotion coming from the bridge.

"What happened?"

"Did he jump?"

"I think that man just saved the other one from drowning..."

"I wonder if that one guy even wanted to be saved..."

"Sshh—don't make assumptions!"

Mako's mind was bombarded by the sources of many voices and what he needed to do next to revive the unconscious man spread out lifeless there by his side. He didn't want to kill Tahno in the process of saving him, regardless of what he thought of him—

XoXoX

_The air was filled with the sounds of crackling static. Everywhere, all around—members of the audience were being electrocuted at the touch of the Equalists' shocking gloves. _

_The whole compound was caught in chaos, cries of shock and fear coming from every corner of the arena. The trio bound to center stage could only stand there and stare wide-eyed as everything around them fell apart. _

_And then—he appeared. _

_Amon—a man with supernatural grace in every move he made. The leader of the Equalists— the man managed to maneuver his way effortlessly around every attack thrown his way. It wasn't long before the bending trio was captured and restrained at the hands of Amon and his constituents. _

_Fear ran through every grain of the trio's molecules—especially those of the leader, the team's waterbender. He'd heard rumors of what Amon was planning on doing—had claimed he was capable of—but had scoffed it off as deliriums of a madman. Here, now though—he couldn't deny the man of the ability anymore—not when he was about to become one of the man's next victims— _

_He could feel the energy being tapped from his being as the man forced his thumb against the waterbender's forehead. No matters of crying for mercy had wavered the man's resolve to finish the task at hand, and it had led up to this moment—the moment that would change everything— _

_Amon's actions had left the now former waterbender lightheaded and weak. He barely consciously caught the screams coming from the audience and the crashes all around. He was solely focused on a set of gruff hands hauling him over towards the ledge of the platform. He couldn't struggle to get out of those hands' grip, too weak to fight with the source to prevent them from launching him over the ledge towards the waters laying below— _

_Oh—how he dreaded that drop, those waters looming now within his sight. He didn't have the strength to do much, but he had enough to widen his eyes to their deepest extent. Those widened ice blues were frozen on the ominous fluid element churning with signs of activity below. Frightened beyond measure of meeting up with the tensed surface of that free-flowing liquid below— _

_Those gruff hands launched him off the platform without a care, and he fell. It felt like a lifetime between the time those hands released him and his body struck the surface. An eternity in freefall— _

_Impact; air knocked out from his lungs—senses shocked beyond comprehension. Sinking, sinking, sinking— _

_It took so long to click—almost too long. He was drowning, and if he didn't act immediately, they'd be calling this pool his watery grave. The thought triggered his sensibilities, and he managed to kick his legs, move his arms in an effort to thrust himself up towards the surface. His lungs burned—screaming for air. The lack of oxygen almost went to his head, almost caused to him to hesitate—but the thought of that pool becoming his place of death kept him motivated to keep moving. It could only be a little farther to the surface— _

"Is he ever gonna come to? Huh, huh? He's been lying there like a ragdoll for way too long!"

"Sometimes it takes time for somebody to recover from an accident like the one he was in."

"I wonder if he'd wake up if a put a smelly sock under his nose. It worked when I tried it on dad."

"Ew, no—do _not _even _think _about doing that to him! Let him rest! He's been through a really rough ordeal, and the healer said he needs time to recuperate."

"Aw, Jinora—you're no fun! He would be _so _much happier if he were awake! I could show him around the island, introduce him to the flying lemurs, and—"

"The sock will wake him! I know it will!"

"Meelo, I already told you—that's gross, and that's also not very nice! He's a guest here, and you don't treat guests like that!"

"Ugh, did I get kidnapped and taken to Munchkin Island?" Tahno muttered irritably as everything started coming into focus. He opened his eyes, welcoming—or not—the sight of three youths hovering above his face, watching him inquisitively. He inclined slowly, feeling a raging migraine coming on. He clenched his eyes shut to deal with it; all the whispered voices of the three children did nothing to bring him relief.

"Munchkins—really?" The eldest of the two girls commented, sounding a little perturbed by his remark. "I might still be young, but I'm not _that young_."

"What's a munchkin? I bet I know what it is!" the younger girl Tahno already knew was going to grate his nerves, as she already was starting to now. "It means we're happy doesn't it? I'm really, really happy, so that would be so fitting! Especially now that you've finally woken up, strange pretty boy!" Apparently his irritation was visibly expressed, because the eldest seemed to take note of it.

"Ikki, why don't you take Meelo with you and go get Dad and that handsome firebending boy? They wanted to be informed when he finally awoke," the eldest said to her younger sister. The younger girl, obviously Ikki, made a face, but quickly brightened up with a smile.

"Yes, yes, I'll go do that! C'mon Meelo, let's go get daddy!" Ikki took her younger brother's hand in hers and practically dragged the boy out of the room along with her. When they were long gone, Tahno enjoyed the insetting silence. The remaining girl, who had to be Jinora, sat still in her chair, her eyes watching him closely.

"What? Like what you see?" Tahno teased, trying to keep up his usual facade. The girl just stared straight back at him without saying a word for several long moments.

"I've seen you somewhere before," Jinora finally spoke, breaking that unnerving silence. "Have you ever been photographed for a newspaper, or attended one of the festivities my dad's taken me to at all? I don't know what it is, but you look familiar."

"I used to be a probender, before I had my bending stripped anyways," Tahno replied, bitter. "Well-known—four championships, fans hanging off me in hordes. I was part of the White Falls Wolfbats. Had my picture and everything in the newspaper and all over town. My life was good...until Amon showed up."

"I think I remember who you are now," Jinora stated, leaning in to study his face more closely. "I remember Korra mentioning you once. The poor waterbender who had his bending stripped during the championship tournament. Tahno, I think she said it was? Is that right?"

"You got that right, kid," Tahno tried to keep up the facade of his older self—that self- confident, sassy image that he used to embody. He fell somewhat short though, and ended up just frowning.

"You look like you're lost," Jinora noted, somewhat sadly. "You should've come to Air Temple Island sooner."

"Why would that be?" Tahno shot the young airbender an odd expression, a look that stated _'what the hell do you mean by that?' _But before she could give him a straight answer—or just

an answer at all—that energetic little pipsqueak boisterously burst through the door again with her little brother—equally as annoying—closely trailing behind her. A moment after the two loud children burst back onto the scene, their father and a certain familiar firebender entered the room.

"See dad? He's awake, just like I told you he was!" energetic little Ikki was like a spark that couldn't be contained. She approached the ex-bender's bed, sitting down on the end of it— uninvited—and began pointing out that detail like she was showing off a piece of art. Tahno couldn't wait until the moment that girl was shown out just so he could get some peace in her absence. And it was evidently showing.

"Ikki, take Meelo with you and go outside and play," their father instructed his boisterous younger daughter. "I think this young man needs some quiet time. He's obviously had quite the day."

"Aw, but I wanted to tell him all about how Mako was like his gallant savior who came to his rescue when he was going to drown. And I also wanted to tell him how Mako had to kiss him in order to save him and everything!" Ikki protested. In the background, the young firebender noticeably blanched in response to the young girl's ramblings.

"I think you can wait until later to fill him in on all that," her father informed her, the blood vessel at his temple obviously pulsing, but being the good father he was trying to be, he held back. "Run along now—he and I need some time to have a private discussion."

Ikki caught the ultimatum in his words and quieted down some. "C'mon Meelo, let's go play in the courtyard and chase the lemurs!" Once again the little boy was being dragged from the room by his hyperactive older sister, which left the room once again in a state of peace and quiet.

"Jinora, why don't you go and see if your mother needs any help with Rohan," their father turned his attention towards the older, quieter girl. She didn't give him a vocal protest, only offering an acknowledging nod before departing the room. Once she was gone, that left the bedbound ex-bender in the company of the kids' father and the young firebender.

"So, go ahead—tell me the story of how I ended up here. And don't leave out any of the _gory _details," Tahno remarked with a sarcastic laugh.

"You were going to jump from the ledge of that bridge I found you on, and when you fell in, I jumped in and saved you—simple as that," The firebender spoke up, a frown on his face. "And I didn't _kiss _you, if you're wondering about that. I resorted to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save your sorry ass. I can only hope I didn't make a mistake doing that."

"From what Mako's been telling me about the incident, it appeared that you were trying to commit suicide," The older man spoke. "Is there any truth in that statement?"

"What if there was, old man? W-what if that's what I'd intended to do all along?" Tahno struggled to sound nonchalant about the whole thing, but his voice cracking halfway in gave him away.

"Considering what you've been through, and for the sake of my own philosophies and a few other factors, I have to keep you here under observation until I can be certain you won't make another attempt at that," The older man told him flat out, with a sense of sincere sympathy carrying in his voice. It would have been a touching sentiment really, but the thought of being held there against his will didn't settle well for the former waterbender.

"You can't keep me here! What about my job? How am I going to be able to support myself and earn a paycheck if I'm locked up on this spiritsawful island?" Tahno exclaimed rather loudly, anguish and frustration expressed in both the words he spoke and very visibly on his

face. It took all he could muster to hold back the tears that wanted to escape from the corners of his icy blue eyes. "I don't have probending anymore, so I have to make some kind of means for myself—and I can't do that while I'm caged up on some island!"

"I'll have a talk with your boss, work things out for you," The older man assured him sincerely. "Your actions on the bridge usually would have landed you in a jail cell or facing charges at the very least, but, considering what you've been through, I deemed keeping you here to be a better option—especially when considering the circumstances that led you here in the first place. In the meantime—make the island your home. You're welcome to explore, but until I can feel safe you're not going to end up doing something drastic—I require that you have somebody following you around just to be on the safe side. I didn't bring you here to recuperate only to have you hurt yourself again—or worse."

"What do you expect me to do with my time while I'm trapped here, old man? Huh?" Tahno had quieted himself down, but he was still visibly trembling. At first it appeared as if the older man didn't have an answer, but he eventually sighed heavily and gave him one.

"Take some time to do some inner reflecting," he suggested, adding, "Discover what the source of your distress is and work it out. If it has something to do with what Amon did to you...find peace in the fact that eventually you'll get that all sorted out." In a more stern tone, he continued with, "And it's not proper for you to refer to me as _old man. _If you can't be formal, at the very least you can call me by my proper name—which is Tenzin." That blood vessel at his temple continued to pulse, but the man—being an airbender—had embraced taking the more relaxed course. "You could also help out with some duties on the island if you ever feel the need to earn your keep, but it's the philosophy here at Air Temple Island that we keep our doors open to anyone who needs a place to stay." Tenzin's eyes focused hard on the young man. "Anything else I need to address?"

"No—I think you addressed all my concerns," Tahno remarked. Tenzin rolled his eyes before turning towards the door to make his exit. When he was gone, that left the ex-waterbender alone with the young firebender.

"Look how far the mighty have fallen," the first words spoken in the older airbender's absence, and they had come from that young firebender—Mako. With his arms crossed over his chest, he carried on. "From what Korra told me about her run-in with you at the station, she seemed to suggest that you were broken. I just never expected it could be this bad."

"Well, Fireboy—life hasn't exactly been a picnic since Amon came along and showed me up on stage," Tahno remarked.

"What happened exactly that led you to being suicidal anyways?" Mako questioned him, adding, "From what I remember about you before the _Amon incident_, you were a selfish, egotistical jerk who did whatever it took to win in competition while probending—cheating being one of your more notable offenses. When you weren't in the arena doing it, you were going out and about the town flaunting your big ego and fame. What could've happened since then that made you forget all about that and attempt to take the _easy way _out?"

"A lot of shit happened to me—that's what!" Tahno shot back at him, icy blues going glacial. "It all fell apart for me after I lost my bending! If you were put through _half _of what I've been through since then, I bet you'd be contemplating the same thoughts too!"

"Losing my bending would be the least of my problems!" Mako retorted in return. "I've been dealt a few bad hands in my life, but I managed. If I lost my bending, I'd learn to deal. I'd turn to the people who care about me and seek support from them, instead of taking the _selfish _way out like you attempted to!"

"_Selfish?" _Tahno shrilled. "You wanna know something, Fireboy? I don't have anyone to turn to in order to get that _support _you think would be all I'd need to get over what I've been

dealt!"

"What happened to all those fans?" Mako questioned him.

"Those idiots?" Tahno cocked an eyebrow, scoffing derisively. "They jumped ship when we weren't _important _enough for them anymore."

"Or your teammates then? Why not turn to them for help instead of doing something as stupid as trying to kill yourself?" Mako argued.

Tahno's face reddened with anger. "I don't want to talk about it!" He snapped unexpectedly.

"What—your teammates or about how stupid it is that you think your only way out is killing yourself?" Mako questioned him heatedly.

"Everything—all of it!" Tahno retorted angrily. "If all you're going to do is stand here shooting insults my way and asking idiotic questions, I'd rather you left so I could be alone instead! I can't deal with the bullshit coming from you right now."

"I think I'd much rather do that," Mako retorted back in agreement. "Being around you right now is just grating my nerves!"

"So go on then, get out and leave me alone!" Tahno exclaimed in a mixture of fury and agony. "The door's that way—and you're more than welcome to it!"

"Gladly!" Mako snapped, stalking towards the door. "I hope you won't make me end up regretting saving your sorry ass after all!" He exited the room, leaving the former waterbender alone in the utter silence that set in upon the firebender's hasty departure.

Tahno waited until he was certain the firebender was out of range, and then broke down sobbing, thinking about the things that had brought him to this depressive state that he couldn't bother to talk to anybody else about. He didn't want their pity, and it wasn't in his nature to reach out to other people who didn't know him that well to ask for their help either. This was something he would have to deal with on his own.

XoXoX

Mako stalked down the halls angrily, thoughts churning in his head as he recalled the details of the whole ordeal with Tahno. It disgusted him that the ex-bender could want to give up so easily—especially with how he remembered him before the fact. The Wolfbats waterbender had been an ego-driven, prideful young man who emanated that and more from the very fabric of his being everywhere he went. It wasn't really that hard to pick up the pieces and start all over again. After the death of their parents, that's what Mako had had to do. Pick up the pieces, raise his brother on his own, and make sure that everything would be all right.

"Selfish little bastard..." Mako muttered to himself as he abruptly crossed paths with the head airbender of the island.

Tenzin shot him an odd look. "He could very well be that, but you don't know the whole story behind what he's been through, Mako. It's not proper to judge without all the facts."

"Airbender philosophy," Mako scoffed before settling on a serious expression. "So what're you planning to do with him? Do you think he'll get any better?"

"Only time will tell if he changes for the better or worse I'm afraid. Until then, I have to keep him here until I know the answer to that for sure," Tenzin replied pensively. "Do you think we should bother mentioning to him that Korra could give him back his bending, or should we

hold off on that for the time being?"

"I seriously think Tahno needs to earn the right to get his bending back—or even the right to knowledge that he can get it back," Mako commented, frowning. "I think we should hold off telling him that until we can say for sure he's earned it. When we talked it over, Korra eventually agreed that he and his teammates hadn't when she first learned how to restore people's bending back to them."

"That's a bit harsh, but if that's how you feel about it—" Tenzin stalled momentarily to look the young firebender directly in the eye. "I'll hold back from informing him about it for the time being—on one condition."

"Condition?" Mako's eyes narrowed some. "What condition?"

"That you take some time to get to know the young man—see what makes up the personality behind that facade you're all familiar with," Tenzin informed him. The firebender shot him a serious glare. The older airbender tried to explain. "When we questioned him at the station the day after his incident with Amon, he was a completely different person from what I saw up there on the tournament platform. He seemed very torn up, and he looked like he hadn't gotten any good sleep at all the night before. His ego's been horribly bruised, and that's left him unusually fragile." Tenzin expressed a level of sadness in his eyes. "Don't judge a man by his past actions; only judge him by the actions he's going to make. Take that to thought and think about it long and hard." Tenzin started moving on his way.

"Where did you learn that philosophy?" Mako's voice stopped him abruptly in his footsteps; the older airbender turned to once again face the young firebender.

"My father taught it to me," Tenzin began to explain, going on with, "It refers to the relationship that formed between Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko. Zuko made some mistakes in his past that left damaging effects on my father, mother and uncle, but in the end they managed to work through those issues and forge an everlasting friendship that helped to build much of what we see around now. Sometimes an enemy is just a misunderstood friend." He turned sideways, ready to head on his way, but added one more thing before he departed.

"Give him a chance to redeem himself. He might surprise you all in the end." Tenzin left him with those words of wisdom. Mako stood there for several long moments, contemplating over those words in his mind.

XoXoX

Tahno spent much of the rest of the afternoon secluded to the room he'd awoken in, only leaving when he had to take care of personal matters. He didn't really care to interact with the island's residents or plain out deal with people. Besides, every waking moment he was haunted by nightmares of his ordeal with Amon—the treacherous fall from that ledge into the waters below.

The incident on the bridge where the firebender had bothered to save him reawakened thoughts he believed he had buried. It ultimately left him feeling utterly miserable.

XoXoX

For the next week, Mako made sure to bring their _guest _food whenever Pema requested him to, which had been every meal during that time. The firebender had gone back to working short shifts during the day, taking breaks to check in on the former waterbender from time to time. He had his issues with the ex-bender, but it didn't prevent him from being curious about his condition. Would he change? Or would Tahno remain the same—day in and day out—until he had the chance to slip away and make another attempt on his life?

Maybe that was what kept Mako curious enough to check in on the ex-bender whenever he had the chance. He didn't want to see his life-saving attempt end up being something he'd done in vain.

Each time he showed up with the meal, Tahno was still alive. The ex-bender barely showed any interest in his presence, or tried faking sleep when he entered. Not very active, and with few words to spare for him, but otherwise—still living.

He didn't see much of anyone else outside his job as an officer. Bolin was heavily preoccupied with training his new teammates, who were taking some time to pick up the tips the earthbender was providing them with. It wasn't until a week after the incident did the two even see each for more than a few brief encounters.

And it would be over a chance visitation with the ex-bender that they would both end up really crossing paths with one another.

XoXoX

Tahno was curled up under the sheets, trying to keep his mind occupied with _something _that wasn't disturbing or nightmare inducing. While his attention was absorbed by his inner thoughts, he barely acknowledged the approach of solid footsteps.

"I almost didn't believe it when Mako told me that he rescued you from one of the city's water channels several days ago." The former waterbender almost jumped at the squeak of the door hinges and the sound of the young earthbender's voice coming from the entryway. Tahno abruptly sat up and turned his sharp glare in Bolin's direction, causing the earthbender to flinch slightly.

"Not quite the condescending smirk I was expecting, but whatever," Bolin eventually shrugged his shoulders as he took to a chair in the room. "So—I heard you jumped? Wanted to die or something?" The usually jovial earthbender looked poignant.

"What does it matter to you?" Tahno snipped at him. Bolin shook his head sadly, but didn't shoot back a retort.

"I used to think you were one nasty dude, but I never would've wanted you dead," Bolin expressed honestly. "You were always trash talking your competition and acting like you were so full of yourself—but I guess after a while I figured that was just a part of your competitive edge or something. Got the sense that maybe that wasn't what you were _all about." _

"Did the Uhvatar tell you about me too?" Tahno groaned as he fell back against the mattress and rolled over so the earthbender was out of his sight. He covered himself with the sheet in an attempt to block Bolin out of his thoughts, but it didn't do him much good.

He heard the earthbender sigh. "Can't you just call her Korra?" he stated, sounding agitated. Tahno removed the sheet from his face and sat up.

"Speaking of the Uhvatar, where is she?" Tahno made an attempt at showcasing one of his trademarked smirks. "Haven't seen her stop by at all. Is she still a little hesitant to visit me because of the offer at _private lessons _I made to her or something?"

"Why does it have to sound so perverted when you say that?" Bolin exclaimed, his hands shooting up in the air. "No, for your information—Korra's not avoiding you—she's not even here. She's on a _spiritual quest_."

"I don't think I need any further information," Tahno commented. Footsteps at the door brought their two pairs of eyes in that direction. In the doorway, the earthbender's older

brother now stood, with a tray of something in his hands out in front of him.

"Bo—why are you in here bothering with him?" Mako asked his brother in an irritable tone. His eyes wandered from his brother to stare hard at the former waterbender for a few moments.

"I wanted to make sure you weren't messing with me when you told me you fished Tahno out of the river channel several days ago," Bolin explained, bringing his brother's eyes back towards him for a second. The younger brother eyed the tray in his older brother's grasp. "Bring him something to eat for supper?"

"Pema sent me up with his dinner," Mako told him. "She's worried our new _guest _will starve if we don't bring him something to eat."

"I think I'll show myself out so that you can get back to that bro," Bolin launched himself to his feet and practically sprinted for the door. "Enjoy your dinner, and _welcome to Air Temple Island!" _with a skip in his step he was out that door in a rush. Mako shook his head while rolling his eyes. He sighed and then looked again at the former waterbender. He walked over to the table beside the bed and set the tray down.

"I've been thinking about our spat from the other day," Mako began as he removed the lid from the tray. "And I think maybe...I was being a little harsh."

"A little?" Tahno scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "You seemed like you really wanted to push my buttons, Fireboy."

Mako closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. He took a seat in the chair Bolin had recently vacated. "Look—I think I might've jumped on you too quickly about the whole suicide thing. I shouldn't have done that, and I wanted to apologize for that. Something Tenzin told me got me to thinking that...maybe there's more to the reason behind why you did it than just the loss of you bending, and—it was stupid of me to chew you out about the whole thing."

"You've got that right," Tahno remarked. The firebender twitched in agitation, but shrugged it off. "So—what did the lady of the house send up for me to eat this time?" Tahno's question had Mako looking from him to the plate he was indicating.

"An old Southern Water Tribe specialty," Mako replied. "I can only hope you're not going to raise your hand to your nose and say it stinks. That would be disrespectful to Pema, and she doesn't deserve that kind of treatment—especially from the likes of you."

"I won't turn my nose up to it, geez," Tahno remarked in frustration. "I might have had it good back during the glory days, but I didn't grow up in that kind of environment. I'm actually rather fond of good old fashioned Southern Water Tribe cuisine."

"You should enjoy it then, since Pema's an excellent cook," Mako stated. He looked down at his hands, grabbing at thoughts. "So...um—you said it's been rough for you since your ordeal with Amon. If all that's been going on since then has gotten to you to the point of you wanting to commit suicide because of it, why didn't you seek out help to deal with it or something? What about family—your old teammates? Why not turn to one of them? They could've helped you out with your issues. That's what I would've done if I were going through something traumatic."

Tahno had been cautiously making a grab for the dish the firebender had brought up for him, but he stopped what he was doing and slumped his shoulders. "I don't really have family I'd bother turning to, and I did turn to my teammates for help. I especially talked to Ming about everything. But Ming hasn't been around for me lately. He's gone, and Shaozu's got other people keeping him occupied—so it's not like he's got time for me or anything."

"Huh—you and Ming have some kind of falling out or something?" Mako inquired curiously. The ex-bender scowled quickly, but then forced a neutral expression across his features.

"Dead—he killed himself," Tahno replied, coming off sounding forcibly detached. Like the former bender would hurt too much to acknowledge it any more fully, Mako realized. "After what Amon did to all three of us...I guess it got to him the most, and he took the _selfish _way out. If he was going to be that way about it—then he's better off that way."

"So...did his choice impact your own decision to attempt to kill yourself?" Mako asked him. The former waterbender shot him a death glare.

"Why don't you just leave me alone so I can eat already!" Tahno shot back at him unexpectedly.

"Geez, if you're going to get that way with me for asking a simple question—I'd be better off doing just that!" Mako retorted, getting back on his feet. "Look—you can continue to be too proud of yourself to come looking for help, or you can be wary of asking for it because you don't trust anyone here enough to do so—but I'm not going to make any effort to do anything to help you out until _you _actually _want it_. " He quick paced it to the door, turning to face the ex-bender to say one more thing before he departed. "_Enjoy _your meal."

Tahno watched the firebender stalk his way out of the room before he eyed the tray of food again. He sighed.

"Might as well eat this before it gets cold," He reached out for the tray, looking at it and taking in a good whiff of the pleasant fragrance emanating from it. He took a bite of it, reminded of more enjoyable memories from his past for the first time in days.

"At least this will take my mind off all the other shit for a little while."

XoXoX


	2. Chapter 2

The festival was supposed to be a means for her and the ones she was close to a chance to celebrate the approach of the day marking her eighteenth year in existence. By no means had she expected it to be disrupted by a menacing spirit—let alone a group of them led by one she had faced on her own beforehand. She also hadn't been expecting it to make the demands it did—or the decision its demands would force her to make. The dark spirit had made a point to confront her in a very public—and devastating—fashion, and she couldn't back down from its request.

Before the Spirit confronted her at the festival, it had hassled her one time before that, and she had chased it off while using the Avatar State. She thought after that first confrontation that it would be the end of it, but she eventually would come to learn that wasn't the case.

During it's second appearance, it brought some _friends _along with it, and instead of causing her trouble, they created chaos for everyone else in her presence and destruction to nearly everything in their path.

"_You have something you need to settle with me, huh? Let's settle this—you and me— somewhere else where there's nobody else around, spirit to Avatar." _Korra remembered shouting at the creature as its intimidating hulking form loomed over her.

"_Then let us settle this matter in the Spirit World, where we will be on equal grounds—young __**Avatar." **_The voice had been deep and resonating, vibrating every cell of her being.

Before leaving, the spirit had given her harsh advice on her meeting up with it within two weeks, alone, or things could become disastrous. When it finally departed, the dark spirit and its companions had left everything around them in complete devastation.

Not wanting to let that come to fruition, Korra made the decision to give in to its demands— and that was what she was currently setting out to do. She remembered Mako protesting with her not to go—or at least investigate the matter further before giving into the Spirit's demands, but she couldn't risk the Spirit sticking to his words and causing those she cared about—especially Mako—to get hurt as a result.

She was still trying to figure out how she was going to do that, as this whole spiritual business thing was still very new to the young Avatar. She had but only a short time ago it seemed achieved a connection with her spiritual half, and she still had a lot yet to learn.

After Korra managed to achieve the Avatar State, Tenzin had thought that it would be proper for her to take some time learning more about her spiritual side and her spiritual responsibilities by consulting with her Uncle Unalaq, the Northern Water Tribe's chief, and also an individual with vast knowledge of spiritual matters when her lessons with him didn't appear to be sufficient enough. But Korra, distracted by teenage urges and her desire to celebrate her birthday before setting in to tackle more serious matters, had decided to wait.

Before the festival, a week or so before, she _had _taken the time to talk to her uncle about spiritual responsibilities, but later—now that she was caught in the middle of a spiritual conflict—she wished she'd listened to his wishes to stay a little longer and learn at least a little more so she'd be more prepared for what she needed to currently do.

Thankfully she had her previous lives to help guide her along the way, and she found Avatar Aang's help especially crucial getting her to where she currently was. Naga—her polar bear dog and most faithful companion, was also helping guide her to where Avatar Aang had informed her to head.

Nearly two weeks had passed since she last saw her friends and family, and Korra missed them. But she knew—for their sake and her own, and possibly the people of the world—she needed to look into the trouble stirring in the Spirit World, and make sure nothing terrible came of it in the process.

It stood before her just as Aang had described it. A spherical structure made of pure ice—the patch of ice that had entombed the previous Avatar during the span of the hundred-year war before he emerged to make an effort to put an end to it. As she approached it, the half spherical _ice sculpture _began to take on an eerie glow. A soft, incandescent green light similar to the glow of the crystals that could be found at the heart of Ba Sing Se's underground labyrinth.

She sat there on the polar bear dog's back, still and in awe of the magnificent spiritual center rising above the ice in front of her.

"That's where we need to go, Naga," she said to her huge canine companion. Naga expressed her wordless acknowledgement—that she knew well that this was where they needed to be with a heftily released breath. She picked up the pace from her previous halt, and the Avatar and her animal guide moved towards the supernaturally glowing structure of ice.

XoXoX

Tahno hadn't bothered to leave his room to return the dishes to the kitchen after he finished eating. Besides—he didn't know where he would take them even if he had; he hadn't the faintest clue about the layout of the island. He hadn't taken the time to explore the place in all the days he'd been confined there since the _accident. _

Plus, since the accident—he hadn't had much energy to do much of anything, even if he knew where to go on the island—or had something to do on it. He wasn't certain if his jump off the bridge and everything that happened to him afterwards left him exhausted, or if all the built up stress from the past several months was finally catching up to him, but whatever it was— he didn't have much strength to do much else but lay there and rest up.

Instead, he'd rolled onto his side under the covers and attempted to get some sleep. He felt unusually exhausted, and he didn't have anything better to do anyways.

He couldn't seem to find a good rhythm though. Every time he closed his eyes, he would see the face of his first initial adversary—the masked man who had dared to take him on in the arena and triumphed over him, to which he in return paid a terrible price. A price to which he kept paying, as his waking nightmares shifted from Amon to other torments—people who had dared to kick him down when he was at his lowest point. His thoughts went from the torment livid ex-rivals put him through towards the one person who helped him escape the terrors those people inflicted on him. The _one _person who had bothered to provide him a light of hope in that ever-expanding field of darkness he felt himself slowly sinking into.

_Ming— _

XoXoX

The man would owe his very survival to the likes of a fifteen-year-old homeless girl.

Kami, whose mother had struggled to make ends meet after her father's passing, had lived for some time in the underground system with her mother after they lost everything in their possession and had to take to the streets. She often hung out in alleyways nearby the arena, hoping to get some handouts from patrons of the probending events out of sympathy for her predicament.

Her mother gave her warning to be extra careful on the streets at the time; the anti-bending revolution was in full swing, and she didn't want her daughter getting caught up in all the mayhem caused by it. Her mother feared for her safety—but she knew she couldn't persuade her daughter to stay off the streets completely. Kami was an independent, stubborn young teenage girl who did her own thing regardless of what others told her to do.

On the same day the tides turned on Amon's campaign, Kami would be wandering those same stomping grounds when she caught sounds of a struggle not far off. Curious and a little concerned, she ran off to check out what the struggle was all about. In the distance—off towards the warehouse near the grounds by the arena—she heard what sounded like a body impacting with a stack of heavy two-by-fours. Concern built up in her even more, fearing that one of her street friends might have gotten themselves caught up in something.

As she grew nearer to where the crash originated, she heard pounding footsteps coming from a hallway not far off, and fast approaching her direction. She dodged off to the side and hid until the perceived danger passed—as the running footsteps grew more distant—and then continued her pursuit.

When she entered the expansive warehouse space, it was eerily silent. The silence didn't settle her nerves well. And then—she heard something. Wheezing? It sounded like somebody struggling to breathe—

The wheezing—it was coming from underneath a nearby stack of boards, she realized. Worried that somebody might be lying there, struggling to breathe under the weight of the wooden planks toppled atop them, her legs brought her swiftly over towards the stack. She quickly moved the stack one plank at a time until she uncovered a badly injured man lying there. Startled, as she didn't have any idea whom this man was, or how he'd fallen victim to this predicament—she quickly pushed the feeling aside to see if there was some way she could help him.

Her mother had once trained to become a healer—to become one in the profession to save others' lives, and—although fate had chosen a different career for her to follow, Kami's mother had passed what she learned down to her daughter just in case one day she might need it. Kami was thankful on that day that she'd learned that knowledge from her mother, because this man lying there was in dire need of medical attention—help she might be able to give him.

Looking around to make sure the coast was clear—as the anti-bending movement was still very much in effect at that moment, to her knowledge anyways—she breathed a relieved sigh when she noticed she was alone. Alone—with the man lying there, struggling to take in each breath he made. She then searched the premises for what she'd need, coming across what she required thankfully not too far off.

A puddle—rainfall left over from a strong downpour a few days before was pooling in a collective nearby. With a few movements of her arms and hands, she summoned the water towards her quickly. Following the guidance her mother had given to her about the technique from memory, Kami used the water to alleviate the man's wounds as much as she was able. To her relief, his breathing regulated, and some of the bruising visible to her on his face and lower arms started fading. When she reached the extent of her abilities, Kami rushed off in search of somebody who could help her with the injured man, and eventually came back with somebody she knew well willing to help her out.

By some strange miracle, the man had still been conscious while the young waterbender got to work tending his wounds—even if just by a thread. Through fractured moments of lucid consciousness, he witnessed the girl's attempts at saving his life with the very ability he'd come to deeply loathe. He wouldn't get the chance to speak even a thanks to the girl, for not long after she ran off to gather more help for his cause, he would slip into a long-enduring comatose-like state.

—One that would endure for the next several months since that day.

XoXoX

After eating his dinner Mako wandered off to a more secluded part of the island to think. The

whole ordeal involving Tahno over the past week had been bugging him through most of the afternoon, and their last confrontation was especially keenly fresh in his thoughts.

_Why does that guy have to make everything so much more difficult? _He thought to himself. He heaved a sigh. The hour was late, and the ivory light of the moon overhead lit up the bay lying beyond. Mako thought himself to be the only one moving about on that part of the grounds that late. A sound of someone else stirring behind caught him unawares.

"Mako? Can I ask you something?" The voice belonged to Tenzin's eldest daughter, the quiet and more mature Jinora. Mako turned away from his view of the bay to acknowledge the young airbender.

"Isn't it a little late for you to be wandering about?" Mako asked her. "I would've thought your father would have told you to go bed by now."

"I'm allowed to stay up later because I've earned the privilege," Jinora countered. "Plus—I'm _not _a little kid."

"Okay, you made your point. So—what did you want to ask me?" Mako crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the young airbender to respond. He knew she had a small crush on him, and figured she might be bringing that up with him now.

"It's about the former waterbender you rescued from the river—Tahno," Jinora responded, taking the firebender a bit off guard. "I'm concerned about him. He seems so sad and lost."

"Um...what do you think I could do about that?" Mako questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I heard him crying pitifully in his sleep, and I wanted you to hear it for yourself, tell me if you think it's something to worry about," Jinora told him. "Please—follow me up to his quarters. You don't even have to go in there—you could just listen through the door."

Mako sighed heavily. "If it's so important to you...lead the way," he conceded. The young airbender only faintly smiled and led the way.

XoXoX

"_You okay? You looked like you were twitching uncomfortably and you were making pitiful _

_cries in your sleep—" _

"_Yeah—yeah, I'm fine. Just another one of the same nightmares as before." _

"_That one about Amon?" _

"_Actually...it was about something else." _

"_That incident you told me about?" _

"..."

"_If you're having nightmares about that still, I want you to __**tell me. **__Right now. You promised me that as part of our agreement." _

"_Ming, I—just don't want to talk about it anymore."_

__"_But if it's still bugging you Tahn—"_

__"_Shut up Ming! I said I don't want to talk about it! Can't you take a hint?" _

"_I care about you, man, and I don't want you to start slipping backwards towards your old drinking habits from before. You promised me you wouldn't go back to those, Tahno. I'm just trying to make certain that you don't." _

"_I assure you that I'm not planning on doing that anytime soon, so just go back to sleep and let me get some rest. I've got work tomorrow, and I can't afford to be too tired while on the job." _

"_Okay, I'll leave you to do that. Good night."_

"..._."_

__"_Goodnight."  
_—_**O— **_

_The echo of the turn of the doorknob inside the apartment was deafening—too deafening. The interior as the door was parted lay deep in shadows, a feeling of being vacant for many hours—without life or any signs of anything living. _

_**He should've been home by now— **_

_Deafening echoes of footsteps as he made his way further into the apartment. A hand fishing for a light switch, ears listening for even the faintest sign of life. Nothing. Finally, the light switch was found, and the room was flooded with its amber illumination. _

_Too bright at first, his eyes took some time to adjust after being enveloped in complete darkness. After they managed to, those icy blues searched the premises for any signs of life— either of his friends. Shaozu, Ming— _

_There was a piece of paper on the table. A note? It hadn't been there before, so maybe it was left there to inform whoever got there first that the note leaver would be out late or something? _

_He went over and picked it up. Eyes widened as they ran over every line of text written on it, hanging on every character. Quickly the piece of paper was thrust aside, left to flutter to the floor in abandon as a pair of feet picked up the pace towards the next room._

_**This can't be real, it's gotta be a prank—he wouldn't really do that— **_

_The thoughts trailed and disintegrated once the grisly scene lay before him. Hands held stiff at his sides, mouth agape, and eyes widened—he stood there in frozen terror. There was no denying—no matter of verbal or thought coercion to reassure him that it was just a prank or a nightmare. The reality hung there, for all eyes to see...a sight that could never be unseen. _

_He screamed, the noise piercing through the grim silence. All the while his eyes were glued to the gruesome sight of his best friend hanging there, the former earthbender's face taking on the ghastliest death pallor— _

_Finally, his knees collapsed out from under him and he began to wail. _"_Ming! __**Ming**__! How could you? How __**could you**__?" _

_Tears poured down in numbers too vast for him to have any control over. He caved to his despair and screamed into the hands he had brought to his face. _

"_I thought you cared about me! How could you leave me like this? How could you take the _

_easy way out! You promised me you'd stick with me through this!" _

_He struggled to bite back the tears as they continued to come, as he heard the pounding of footsteps rushing up the staircase to their apartment. They wouldn't stop coming. Nothing could seem to cease their flow— _

"_You promised!" _

XoXoX

Jinora led him directly up to the doorway of the room where he knew the former waterbender was staying. She eyed him before turning her gaze to the door, pressing her ear to its surface then to hear what might be happening beyond it on the other side. Mako needn't press his own ear against the surface to know that there was some form of commotion going on inside the room. Regardless, Jinora silently motioned him over, and the firebender complied.

"He's still at it, like he was earlier," Jinora whispered, her voice filled with sorrow. "Listen." She moved away from the door so he could take advantage of a better listening angle.

"_Ming! __**Ming**__! How could you? How __**could you**__?"_

__"_I thought you cared about me! How could you leave me like this? How could you take the _

_easy way out! You promised me you'd stick with me through this! You promised!"_

__"_We were going to get through this together. Together. So—why? Why? I thought you cared!" _

Mako peeled his ear away from the door. The pitiful crying coming from the other side was unbearable to continue listening to. He turned back towards a solemn-faced Jinora.

"I feel bad for him," Jinora said in a voice filled with sympathy. "He doesn't want anyone else to help him with his troubles, but he's obviously suffering deeply."

"Do you know what kinds of despicable things he did in the arena?" Mako questioned the girl. She nodded gravely, showing she was very aware of the former waterbender's past ill deeds.

"He cheated during a sporting event," Jinora stated, "But he didn't kill anyone, didn't break any important laws. Even people like him deserve sympathy when they're depressed."

Mako continued to hear muffled cries coming from the other side of the door, each cry panging at his heartstrings. Then the cries turned into screaming, and the two of them stood there, looking at one another—not sure what they should do.

XoXoX

"_I thought you cared for me Ming! I sure as hell know I cared for you, damn it, so why did you _

_have to forsake me like you did?" _

"_Tahno, I know you cared about me—and I cared about you too, man...but—it was just getting to be too much—" _

_Everything was shrouded in darkness, the room cast in midnight's shadows, blurring the lines of the furniture and the floorboards. The only thing that seemed to contrast distinctly against the shadows was the form of the ex-earthbender standing there. But how could he be standing there? He was dead—wasn't he? Tahno had seen it for himself—had seen his lifeless body hanging there like a ragdoll— _

"_Ming, you're dead—damn it! Dead! You can't be here. You can't—" _

"_Tahno—you've got to stop beating yourself up over all that's happened! Wake up man! You deserve happiness—so stop wallowing in these nightmares and self-pity. I thought I knew you better than to do that." _

_Tahno could feel himself crumbling from the strain. It was getting to him—overwhelming him._

_Ming was standing there—plain as day against the shadows—when he shouldn't be. _

"_Dead—you're dead..."_

__"_But you're not—not yet anyways, and you can keep it from being that way if you'd just try—" _

_It all didn't seem real. It couldn't be real; his best friend, his former teammate—he was standing there, every vivid detail of his features visible from head to toe. His fresh, young and handsome face, daringly mischievous cool-gray eyes, and his darker hair and complexion that was still brighter in the contrast against the background shadows. _

_And then, when the vision of the ex-earthbender wasn't enough of a mental overload—Ming reached out and placed his hand on the former waterbender's shoulder. _

_Ming felt very real—__**appeared **__very real, but how could— _

_He started screaming—long, sharp, agonizing screams— _

He opened his eyes. Darkness welcomed him, but it wasn't the same, foreboding darkness of the nightmare he realized he'd just awoken from. It took a moment for his mind to filter the fractured fantasy from reality, realize that the room lay empty around and beside him, and that Ming wasn't standing there.

Had never been standing there.

Tahno fought to calm his labored breathing, his racing heart. Finally he was breathing at a normal rate, and it seemed his heart had calmed itself down enough. He could feel himself trembling, an effect that stated he was still feeling the effects of that startling dream.

"It felt so real, like he really was here..." He inclined in bed, shaking his head to clear it. "That didn't even feel like a dream...at least—none that I've ever had before..."

Tahno was certain the hour was still rather late; light filtering in through a small window across the room from him appeared to be that of the moon, ivory white and bright. He sighed as he continued to collect his nerves.

"I guess sleep isn't going to be much of an option tonight," he muttered bitterly to himself as he got to his feet. His legs felt like putty under his weight, but he managed to keep standing on them. He hadn't used them much for walking since he fell from the bridge, and it showed.

He made his way slowly towards the door, bracing himself against the wall as he turned the knob. Slowly he pulled it open, taking all his weakened strength to pull off the maneuver. Once it was open, he passed through the vacant doorway and wandered off to explore the premises for a better place to be than that confined space so filled with nightmares.

XoXoX

Mako and Jinora watched as Tahno passed through the doorway to his quarters and made his way carefully down the hall. Jinora gave the firebender a silent signal to follow, and so cautiously they did.

They followed until he passed into the open expanse near the island's docks, watching from a

safe distance as the former waterbender parked himself on the edge of the pier. There he remained, not moving much besides to look around, but not making any attempts to jump off.

"I get the feeling he and his friend named Ming were very close," Jinora whispered to the firebender.

"You know—I get that same feeling." Mako's eyes stayed on the ex-bender, a thought occurring to him. "I wonder how close?"

"Huh?" Jinora looked at him blankly. She contemplated his words after letting them digest a bit. "Close? Maybe they were like brothers?"

"Yeah, maybe," Mako managed, although not feeling like he fully agreed with that. The former waterbender was sort of an enigma—one that the firebender was starting to want to unravel— "Should we bother confronting him? Do you think he'll jump?" He asked in a whisper.

"No—let's just watch him for a while, and only make a move if he does do something," Jinora replied.

"I think it should be only for a little while longer for you, because even if it's okay for you to stay up later—it's getting pretty late," Mako informed her. Her brow crinkled up, but she didn't shoot back some form of retort. The young airbender only hesitantly nodded in agreement.

XoXoX

The evening hour was late. The former waterbender could tell by how full the ivory moon was as it hung dead center in the inky sky. Most of the residents of Air Temple Island had long gone off to sleep, with only a few sentries patrolling the premises for disturbances.

_Or to keep an eye on me—make sure I don't make any drastic moves to harm myself_, Tahno thought irritably to himself as his eyes wandered out to the bay that lay beyond the pier he found himself sitting at the end of. As much as it agonized him to be near the water, he couldn't seem to keep away from it either.

So there he was, not able to sleep—watching the currents on the bay as the ivory moonbeams danced on the ripples. His mind wouldn't let him rest; he kept being haunted during his every waking and resting moment by thoughts of time he'd spent with Ming before the former earthbender had departed this world for the hereafter. The last nightmare he'd had before he awoke was especially haunting him, as there was something about it he found discomfiting. What that was? He didn't know and couldn't figure it out.

"Ming, did you really think it was any easier for me to deal with confronting my fears over water than it was for you with earth? I mean, come on—didn't you ever take the time to notice how water is in practically _everything _surrounding us? The bay, the river channels running through the city...hell—even in the air there are tiny quantities of it hiding from the naked eye, _and _our bodies are practically made up of the stuff! Ever wondered why bloodbending was possible, huh Ming? Bodies are made up of _water!_" He threw his arms up and arced them outwards. "Water, water—all around, Ming! All around!"

To elaborate his statement even more, he got to his feet and motioned his arms in a larger arc. As he did a turn, he came face to face with something that had him badly startled. His eyes went wide in sheer horror as he backed away from the unexpected _specter _standing there.

_Ming—_

__As he backed away from the improbable _hallucination _standing there, the ex-bender caught

his footing on an inconsistency on the pier's surface. It caused him to stumble, arms flailing as he pitched downward at an awkward angle. He let out a cry as he felt himself falling, falling—

Before he could hear the sound of water splashing as his body made contact with the water's surface, he felt a sharp impact with something blunt and heavy against the side of his head. An instant later, everything went black.

XoXoX

"_I can't believe I'm doing this again—"_

_Rushing currents, water splashing...somewhere—_

_A harsh yank upwards from the depths of the watery blanket encompassing everything—_

_More splashing, the pressure of breaking the water's tense surface; even more splashing—_

"_You better appreciate the effort I'm making when you come to, damn it—"_

_More yanking, water flowing all around—licking, caressing, soft and gently— _Pain—excruciating, mind numbing pain, coming directly from the head—

Tahno's eyes shot open in an instant, and an instant later he was regretting it. His head was heavily throbbing, panging with every thudding heartbeat he could feel at his temple. It felt like he'd been slammed in the head with a two-by-four. When he thought about it, he just might have been—

"That makes two times I've saved your sorry ass." He heard the voice coming from off to the side. A very familiar voice, one he should probably know.

The firebender—Fireboy, that's who it was. His name—what was it again? Think, damn it— think—

"I can only hope you did that by accident, and that you weren't trying to kill yourself again."

"Ugh..." Tahno squinted, fighting the raging migraine that kept pounding on. "What time is it— day is it?"

"It's noon. You've been out cold all night and all morning." Mako—that's what Fireboy's name was.

"Ah—I guess I managed to get _some _uninterrupted sleep last night at least," Tahno made a halfhearted attempt at laughing, but the effort only caused the throbbing to increase.

"So, tell me—were you or were you _not _trying to commit suicide again out there on the pier last night?" Mako's voice was grating to his nerves.

"_Not, _Fireboy. Happy?" Tahno answered with a little attitude. "I saw something that startled the shit out of me, and it resulted in me taking an awkward tumble of

f the edge of the pier. No death wish intended."

"That's a relief at least." Earsplitting scraping across the floor—"I would've been pretty pissed off if you'd tried to do something stupid like your stunt on the bridge all over again."

"Well—I'm alive and well, although dealing with one fucker of a headache," Tahno's short laugh died on his lips as the pain grew more severe. "Ugh—do you have anything to treat this?

It's making it so I can't even think without causing it to throb."

"Let me handle that for you," A new voice answered, female, older—unfamiliar. "Just lay back and make yourself comfortable. In a minute you won't feel a thing." He didn't know what she meant to do, but a moment later he felt the fluid rush of water running over his skin and through his scalp. From its flow he could feel a numbing sensation radiating from within its course, bringing on a wave of intense relief. After a few moments of having the fluid _pain reliever _rush over his head, it was removed, and the pain ceased. He opened his eyes.

Next to the bed he noticed two people. One being the firebender—Mako, by name—the other a woman he'd never met in his life. She was a woman with shocking white hair and a darker complexion. A waterbender—probably a direct descendent of one of the two polar tribes, from what he could surmise.

"There's a small bruise still visible on your forehead, but other than that you should be fine." The woman smiled cheerfully, tilting her head a little to the side as she closed her eyes momentarily. "And it's not too unsightly, so it doesn't take away from your very handsome face."

"Are you the grounds healer?" Tahno sat up, his head feeling better, enough to not debilitate his movements like before anyways.

"No, silly—I'm Tenzin's older sister," she replied cheerfully. "Name's Kya. What about you, young man? What's your name?"

"Uh...Tahno," Tahno replied. "So—Tenzin...the airbender who runs this joint huh? Didn't know he had waterbender blood running in him."

"Our mother married the prior Avatar, an airbender—I'm sure you know," Kya reminded him. He shrugged.

"Yeah—I guess the knock to the head disoriented me or something," Tahno admitted.

"So—I've heard that you've been rather down in the dumps lately. Can I ask what's got you feeling so low?" Kya asked him.

"Um, well...there's a laundry list of things I don't really want to talk about, but basically—I used to be a waterbender, and my bending got stripped by that madman Amon. Long story short—because of the fact that my teammates and me foolishly and excessively cheated especially during this last season's probending games, a lot of my former rivals and people pissed off by our actions chose to confront me personally about their anger over the whole ordeal physically. I...also lost my best friend only a month ago. He—hung himself up at the end of a short rope."

"Sounds like you've had it pretty rough," Kya lost a little of that cheerfulness, but bounced back an instant later. "I know! Whenever I feel down, I just sing along to my absolute _favorite _song. I'm sure you'll love it. It's just the best!"

"I—um...thanks for the offer, but I think my ears are still ringing from my head trauma. Wouldn't want to mess with that, would we?" Tahno forced a grin that felt fairly painful to express. The elder waterbender lost some of that enthusiasm yet again, but—like before— quickly bounced back.

"I wouldn't want your ears ringing more because of me," Kya stated, getting up to her feet. "Well—I hope you feel better Tahno, and next time you decide to hang out on the pier at night—watch your step!"

Tahno forcibly nodded in response, "Yeah, I'll remember that for next time." He watched as the elder waterbender danced her way to the door and departed. A heavy sigh drew his attention back towards the young firebender in the room.

"You're lucky she just came in this morning. She learned to heal from the best," Mako bothered to remind him. "She's the daughter of Korra's waterbending sifu, Katara. Best known healer in the world."

"I'll try to remember that," Tahno replied half seriously. "So, yeah—I guess I should thank you for saving my ass once again, huh?"

"I'd appreciate it," Mako replied.

"Yeah...thanks," Tahno managed. The firebender expressed a faint smile in response.

"That's a step in the right direction," Mako noted. The ex-bender didn't catch his drift, and it showed. "Ah—never mind. So—you said something you saw caused you to badly stumble? What could've startled you so bad that it caused you to dive head-first—literally—into the side of the end of the pier?"

"I thought I saw my dead best friend standing there. The damn hallucination looked so real...it looked like he was really there. Scared the shit out of me." Tahno turned his eyes away, feeling awkward about being so open with this resentful former rival. "Lost my footing, and I guess I fell right off the pier from there."

"Have you ever had these hallucinations before?" Mako asked him. The ex-bender groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Ugh, I'm not usually this open with people who hate my guts, but..." Tahno sighed. "That's the first time that's ever happened to me. I've had weird dreams with him appearing in them, but nothing quite like this has ever happened before."

"You didn't eat or drink anything unusual last night at all, did you?" Mako asked him, again getting a frustrated groan out of the ex-bender.

"You served my dinner to me personally, so—unless you laced it with something—I'd say the answer is a definite _no_," Tahno replied peevishly." And I can't think of _anything _else that would make me start to see things, so I can't quite explain what could've caused it. Maybe the only explanation I have is that I've started seeing spirits or something."

"Now _that _would be something," Mako commented, finding that theory to be hilariously ridiculous. "And, for the record—I don't actually hate you, I just don't appreciate cheaters— especially when they're pulling that kind of shit on me and the people I care about."

"Ya wanna know something, Fireboy?" Tahno rested his arms behind his head. "This was the first year we ever actually resorted to blatant cheating. Ming had been dealing with some recent problems with his earthbending stances, and we used cheating as a cover-up to the fact. He strained himself early in the season, and we didn't want to lose as a result. Dirty and wrong, I know—I've been reminded of the fact enough times—but I can't exactly go back in time and do it any different."

"I'm just glad you're able to admit you guys did wrong in the first place," Mako commented, his words unexpectedly sincere. "You keep saying that some people haven't treated you all that well since Amon took your bending. If it's not too much to ask, could you tell me about it?"

"You seriously want to know?" Tahno exclaimed, a little taken aback by the inquiry.

"Yeah—if it's a part of the reason why you were contemplating suicide in the first place, I'd like to know more about it," Mako answered honestly. "Look—if you're willing to bend a little, I'm willing to give you a second chance. We got off on the wrong foot with one another, but that doesn't mean we can't try and work things out. You'll have to work with me on that though; I can't do that part for you."

"Seriously, Fireboy—I can't _bend _at all," Tahno replied jokingly, a distinct curving to one side of his mouth. At first Mako thought he was being a smartass all over again, and then he caught the jest in what he stated.

"Yeah—I guess I chose a wrong play on words there," Mako admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "But seriously—can we reach an agreement, or are you going to continue to be a jackass and argue with me all over again?"

"Fireboy, I guess I can swallow my pride enough to try and work something out with you. I mean—I owe you two times over for saving my ass, don't I?" Tahno kept on grinning. And for once—Mako wasn't irritated seeing that expression cross the former waterbender's face. He was actually relieved to see him not sulking or angry at the world. "And to answer that other question of yours..." He lost that grin, and looked down. "A few of my team's other former rivals, they took it out on me physically after the fact. I guess they were really livid that we cheated them out of a chance at winning. With me being the captain...I guess that also made me the one to target." He looked like he was on the verge of tears, but he apparently found a way to force them back.

"You didn't deserve that," the former waterbender raised his head when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Mako was looking at him with genuine concern, something Tahno never would've expected from this former rival. "Even as mad as I got with you and your teammates over your cheating—I never would've resorted to taking it out on you physically. I guess I can see why it would bring you down."

"I...yeah," Was all that Tahno could muster. He started shuffling his hands in his lap, an uncomfortable silence settling in suddenly.

"Hey...your teammate, Ming—it seems like his death has also really impacted you. Can you honestly tell me how close you guys were?" Mako asked him. The former waterbender flinched somewhat at the question, and didn't speak up to respond for several long drawn out moments.

"If I tell you, you will _not _mention anything about it to another soul—got it?" Tahno looked dead serious, Mako noted.

"Got it," he replied. "I won't breathe a word of it to anyone outside this room, promise."

"Ming and I—you see...we were...more than friends," Tahno squirmed uncomfortably, his eyes focused on his hands in his lap. "He wasn't just my best friend, and I didn't just care about him—I...loved him."

"So, um—were you two like brothers then?" Mako asked. The ex-bender made an irritable sound, looking up to the ceiling in frustration.

"No—the two of us were not like _brothers_," Tahno replied irritably. His ice blue eyes fell to look back down at his hands. "We were more than that—_we _were _lovers_. I loved him _romantically_. Can you get the meaning of that through your head?" He fell back against the pillows beneath him.

"You're—queer?" Mako exclaimed. The ex-bender took the opportunity to look at him critically.

"Yes—_no_, well...not exactly," Tahno replied defensively. "I'm into girls _and _guys. I would take an interest in whoever caught my eye and kept my attention long enough. During the glory days I rarely took many of them seriously, but when I actually did—I only get serious with people I felt a real connection with and vice versa. In this case—it was my _male _best friend." He avoided making eye contact with the firebender, feeling like he'd suddenly opened up a bad can of worms. "Don't judge me over that, okay? I've heard the slurs and taunts before— I've heard a shitload of them over the last several months since the negative scrutiny exposed my _dirty little secret _along with the cheating—and if you're _really _serious about working things out between the two of us, you will _not _ridicule me for my orientation. I've gotten enough for it as it is. Right now...I can't take any more of it."

"I wasn't going to judge you for it—geez," Mako let out an agitated sigh. "I'm not like that. I know there are _a lot _people out there who can be very judgmental about that kind of thing, but when you're forced to live on the streets at a fairly young age like I was—you learn not to judge people based solely on their differences."

"Street rat, huh?" Tahno finally afforded the strength to look back up at the firebender.

"My parents were killed when I was eight, and me and Bo didn't have any other relatives to turn to—so I raised him myself. I took care of the both of us—food, clothing, housing— everything." Mako ran over the details of his parents' murders all over again—how he'd been there to personally witness it, and been the one to inform his brother about the news. It had been a very tough day for him—both of them, but Mako had always felt the worst brunt of it. This wasn't the time to dwell on past hardships however. It was the time to try and reconcile his differences with his former probending rival. "Probending might've been about fame and glory for you, but for me and Bo—it was our means of staying out of trouble, getting by with food on the table, clothes on our backs and shelter over our heads. It kept us both from resorting to shadier practices to earn our keep. To both of us—probending wasn't just a game...it was an income, our survival."

"I get the feeling you're trying to make me feel guilty over my team being _very _ambitious about winning the championship title over yours, Fireboy," Tahno remarked. The firebender expressed a hint of a smile.

"I can only hope that it would make you feel a little guilty at least," Mako admitted honestly.

"Okay—I can admit to feeling _a little _guilty about my team's actions during our matches," Tahno replied. An awkward silence fell in.

"So... what would you do if you ever got your bending back?" Mako asked him, breaking the silence.

"Probably not go back to probending," Tahno told him. "Amon left me with too many bad memories to ever go back to competing in it. Plus—my team would be down a player, and it just wouldn't work without Ming there. The three of us...we were in sync with one another. It'd be hard to find that kind of chemistry with a replacement." The firebender caught the hurt in the ex-waterbender's eyes—the welling of tears at their corners. The ex-bender quickly rubbed at his eyes with the hem of his shirtsleeve in an attempt to cover up the evidence it seemed. "Other then that, I don't know what I'd do. It's not like that's ever gonna happen, so I don't like to dwell on the _what ifs._"

It was obvious the former waterbender was completely oblivious to Korra's actions some months back—how she restored many of Amon's victims' bending back to them. Considering how the ex-bender had probably been struggling and out of it mentally the past few months, that probably explained why the ex-bender hadn't heard the news. Mako was starting to feel bad holding that info from him still, but he didn't feel like Tahno had completely earned the right to get his bending back _just yet. _

_Give it a little more time, _Mako informed himself. _Have him prove he's earned it through his actions— _

"Breakfast call!" Kya's voice took the firebender from his thoughts. There she stood in the door, with a steaming tray in hand and a broad smile cast across her face. "Wouldn't want our ailing guest to go hungry while he's still healing." She brought the tray over, and removed the lid. "One of my own secret recipes, a fusion of both Northern and Southern Water Tribe cuisine. And it's great for filling you up when you're not whole." She graced her face with a brilliant smile.

She set the tray across the former bender's lap, waves of a strong and pungent fragrance wafting off the dish—a _good smelling _aroma. The former waterbender's stomach suddenly began to growl loudly, and a slight hint of a rosy hue touched upon Tahno's pale features.

"I've gotta get back to work," Mako started saying. "My boss gave me the okay to be in a little late after I saved you from drowning—_again—_last night, but I can't run too late." He got to his feet and faced the ex-bender. "I'll stop by later to make sure you haven't done something stupid, Tahno, but until then...keep your ass out of trouble, okay?"

Tahno had almost retaliated with a biting remark in response, but he realized the firebender wasn't being critical with him, that he was showing him genuine concern. He bit back the scathing remark and forced a faint smile instead.

"I won't do anything stupid," Tahno responded. "I wouldn't want mama Mako fretting too much over me while he's off chasing down bad guys and criminals." He grinned crookedly. The firebender rolled his eyes and groaned lightly.

"I'm not fretting," Mako stated defensively. He shook his head. "I was just—you know what, never mind. I'll just check back in later, and pray to the spirits that you're still intact when I return, you sorry ass." He took solid steps towards the doorway.

"Don't worry, Mako, I'll take care of our guest until you return," Kya promised him. "You go and have a good day at work. And don't you go getting yourself hurt on the job, okay?" The young firebender turned to face her in the entryway.

"Okay, I won't," Mako assured her. "Thanks Kya." He departed. Meanwhile, the energetic elder waterbender turned her attentions back towards the young former bender.

"Eat up!" Kya told him. "We wouldn't want your handsome features to begin looking haggard from stress and under eating, now would we?" She patted him on the cheek affectionately, making Tahno blush. At that moment, he was thankful Mako had departed when he did. Tahno didn't want the firebender to see him any more embarrassed than he already had.


	3. Chapter 3

Asami's path had been hard ever since her father's betrayal against the city—against her. It had taken her some time to recover from the shock of the fact that he willingly went in for the kill before she managed to subdue him herself, and he was apprehended. Many a good night was spent tossing and turning from the nightmares that resulted from the incident.

It didn't help that she was soon bogged down by the burden her father's reputation left on the business she took over in his absence. Future Industries took both a financial and reputational blow due to the name not being easily trusted after Hiroshi's defection, and it had taken a lot of time and effort for Asami to rebuild from the damage the business took.

Thankfully, even though they had been on troubled grounds with one another after the fiasco created between the two and Mako, Korra and Asami managed to patch up their issues with one another and form a friendship between them. It had taken a month to rebuild the groundwork of their friendship, but the two came out of it with something strong built between them.

Korra only managed to make the foundations of their friendship stronger when she discovered the predicament Asami was under with Future Industries. Asami had gone home after a long, highly stressful day to try and regain some semblance of sanity when Korra made a chance house call concerning some other matter. When the butler showed the Avatar to Asami's quarters per her request, Korra discovered the young woman with her hair unusually messily pulled back, face tear stained and haggard. Korra immediately inquired the cause, and Asami explained—in detail—the situation.

_Is there anything I can do to help out? _Korra had asked. At that moment, Asami crumbled into the Avatar's arms and released her excessive grief. Korra let her cry on her shoulder, awkwardly offering reassurances until Asami managed to calm down.

_I don't know if there's anything anyone can do_, Asami sobbed softly. _Nobody wants to do business with a company formerly run by a traitor, and I'm having a hard time convincing anyone that I'm not like my father—that I don't stand by his philosophies and I don't plan to use the products my company creates in the manner my father chose to. I'm not a traitor, and I'm having a hard time convincing people of that! _

_Maybe I can convince them that you're trust-worthy, _Korra said then, causing Asami to pull away from the Avatar to stare at her with tear-choked eyes. _You're a good person, Asami, and I know you're nothing like Hiroshi. You took him out with one of his own mecha after all, and he tried to kill you. Why would you even trust the old bastard after he tried doing that to you? _She offered a reassuring smile that reached her ocean shallows for eyes. _Maybe I can use my influence as the Avatar to convince them that you're trust-worthy. My position should hold some weight to it at least. _

_If you could accomplish that, Korra—I would be forever grateful. _Asami's voice had been shaky from residuals of her sobbing slowly diminishing.

_Keeping the balance is one of my duties, _Korra told her. _Keeping Future Industries afloat will help maintain that balance, and I owe you for all the trouble Mako and me created for you. _

Korra had left shortly afterwards, determined to help Asami get Future Industries back up and running the way it was before Hiroshi left his mark on it with his betrayal.

Two days later Korra had surprised Asami with a conference between her and some potential business associates and even a couple representatives from the United Forces. Korra had kept her word and talked to them, convincing all parties to hear Asami out on her business proposals for Future Industries.

Besides reworking old contracts the company had held pre-Hiroshi defection, Asami managed to strike up a few new ones, contracts that promised to bring Future Industries back into a

respectable light. Korra had been right there by Asami's side as she worked out contracts with a few associates, and drew out an agreement with United Forces over her newly redesigned biplanes. Korra had managed to convince a few officials through her own personal connections that the biplanes might be useful in some way to the United Forces, and somehow she'd convinced them to agree to constructing a contract on building some for the fleet.

Korra somehow managed to take it even further and got Asami involved in the construction of seafaring vessels that could act as launch and landing sites for her biplanes while making connections at sea. She, along with some high-ranking officials from the United Forces, drew up blueprints for potential designs, and she even got to oversee some of their construction as prototypes were put into assembly.

When it was all said and done with, Asami was astounded at just what Korra managed to accomplish for her. After an afternoon of hashing out details and writing up a list of contracts that would keep her busy for a good long while and keep her company in business, Asami invited Korra to the Sato Estate to relax for the afternoon—and to thank her for everything she had accomplished. Over dinner, as they chatted, Asami told Korra how grateful she was and offered her the most sincere thanks. Korra in response smiled.

_I wanted to make up for all the trouble we caused you, and...I wanted to do it. You're my friend, and I didn't want you to end up having everything cave in on you. Especially after everything involving Amon and Hiroshi. _

Korra had been straightforward and honest with her response, and from then on Asami gained a lot of respect for the girl who had brought her a lot of hurt. Most of it had been unintentional—the reveal of her father's treachery, although painful to endure in its aftermath, was something Asami was grateful to Korra for after the fact. What her father had become— she couldn't condone his actions, or stand by them. The toll the reveal had done to the business—Asami couldn't blame Korra for that, even though she had been the one to set it on that course with Hiroshi's true nature brought to light.

The stuff that had hurt—Korra was attempting to make up for that. From the day she turned business around for Future Industries until the day she headed for the Spiritual nexus of the South Pole to investigate that situation involving the spirit that attacked the festival; Korra stopped by from time to time to see how things were going with Asami—and just to hang out with her.

Asami thought back fondly on their casual afternoon trips to the park, the times Korra would stop by the estate to get in an afternoon taking out the racecar and giving it a _test run _on the track, the makeup lessons and fashion tips Korra asked about—all while looking over the newest contract to cross her desk for consideration. She couldn't believe that a couple weeks had already passed since she got back to handling the business, and—somewhere at the back of her mind—she wondered how Korra was doing.

She wondered if she was doing okay while her eyes wandered over the paperwork in front of her—

XoXoX

It was yet another long day on the job. The Triads were especially active during the later stretch of the afternoon, and the last chase left Mako both mentally and physically fatigued.

It didn't help that he was already tired before he started his day—what with how the firebender had spent half the previous night rescuing Tahno from drowning a second time in just under a week, and then making sure the ex-bender would be stable until morning at the very least. He'd been thankful when Kya turned up the following morning on a routine visit with her nieces and nephews. She'd been the one to assure him that the ex-bender would be okay when he eventually awoke.

Mako was more than ready to call it a day—eat dinner and then head to bed. But before he could do that, however—he needed to check in on the ex-bender. See if Tahno kept his word about staying out of trouble, and see if he'd healed some more since he left earlier that afternoon.

On his way he ran into Tenzin's elder sister, who—as he approached her—appeared as though she were waiting there for his arrival. A smile lit up her face as she noticed him coming.

"Looks like you managed to get through your day unscathed," Kya commented lightheartedly as the firebender drew nearer to her.

"Yeah, I managed to avoid whatever the Triads had to throw my way while I was busy chasing them down and everything," Mako replied. "Were you waiting up for me or something?"

"Yes, I wanted to speak with you about that former waterbender my brother's keeping up here that you apparently saved from a suicide attempt a week back," Kya said.

"Did he get in trouble while I've been gone?" Mako asked, taking on a serious expression.

"No, I made him spend most of the afternoon resting so he could recuperate from his injuries," Kya informed him. "What I wanted to ask you is—what do you know about him? Jinora's taken a particular interest in that boy, and I'm curious to find out more about him myself."

"Honestly, I couldn't tell you much because I don't really know him that well," Mako admitted honestly. "I know his probending team—the White Falls Wolfbats—won the probending championship four times in a row, and that he was their team's waterbender. Outside knowing that he used to be pretty full of himself, acting all haughty and superior to his competition and that his team resorted to cheating, there isn't much else I could tell you."

"I guess I'll just have to hang around here a while so I can get to know that former waterbender better," Kya stated. "Oh, yes—Pema mentioned that you've been taking on the responsibility of bringing that young man his meals. I wanted to assure you that you don't have to worry about doing that tonight—that I already took care of that for you."

"Thanks for doing that for me, Kya," Mako replied gratefully. "I think I'll check in with him before I head in for the night. I want to see for myself that he's still in one piece."

"I'll let you go so you can go do that then," Kya responded. "I promised Jinora some one on one time this evening, so I'm sure she'll be grateful that you'll be with that boy so she doesn't have to linger around him all evening, being worried about what he might do to himself next."

Before Mako headed on his way, he met the elder waterbender's azure gaze. "Thanks for keeping an eye on him for me this afternoon," he told her. "After I've had to save him from drowning twice—I feel better knowing he's still intact at the end of the day."

Kya said nothing in response, only smiling in acknowledgement, and nodding once before going her separate way. Mako stood there watching after her for a few moments longer before he too moved on.

XoXoX

Tahno appreciated the fact that the elder waterbender—Tenzin's older sister, Kya—felt obliged to look after him and attempt to make him feel better, but he was relieved when she finally gave him his space for the evening. He was still sore all over and dead tired—and he just wanted a chance to _relax. _

He got about an hour's worth of peace before he heard a knock at the door. At first he didn't bother to respond, hoping his silence would chase the culprit away. When a second knock came, he sighed heavily and decided to answer it.

"Yeah?" He met up with the young firebender's presence on the other side when he parted it a crack.

"I came to check in with you before heading off to bed," Mako informed him. "Okay if I come in for a few?"

"If you make it quick," Tahno replied. "I'm still drained from my ordeal last night—and I'm not up for doing much talking right now."

"Don't worry—I'm tired too, so I intended to make it quick," Mako replied. The ex-bender nodded before parting the door and stepping out of the way to let the firebender in.

"As you can see, Fireboy—my ass is still very much intact, as well as the rest of me for that matter," Tahno stated as he climbed back under the covers and got himself situated. Mako in the meantime took to the chair nearby like other times before.

"Glad to hear it," Mako replied. "Are you recovering from last night's incident okay?"

"Yeah—thankfully the migraine's pretty much a thing of the past," Tahno told him. "That sucker hurt like a bitch, I tell you."

"Yeah—from what I witnessed of your fall last night, it looked like you hit the pier with your head pretty hard," Mako told him. The ex-bender winced at the reminder.

"Definitely makes me wanna be more careful on that pier from now on," Tahno remarked lightly.

Silence set in for a time. Mako looked down at his hands, shuffling them in his lap. Tahno, meanwhile, looked to the ceiling, as if searching for something interesting up there with his full concentration. When he couldn't take the stillness anymore, Mako broke it with the first thing that came to mind.

"I didn't ask you this earlier, but—did you and Ming know each other for a while? And how about that other teammate of yours—Shaozu, I think you said his name was?" Mako looked up from his hands towards the ex-bender, breaking the other man's concentration on the ceiling with an abrupt physical responding jerk.

"Huh? Yeah—Ming and me go way back, practically grew up together. Shaozu we both met sometime later," Tahno responded, voice shaky at first. "Ming and I—our fathers knew each other, and we met through that connection. My pops hated the idea of Ming and me forming a probending team. I wasn't willing to back down to the old man, and Ming helped me move outta my parents' place so we could pursue that dream without the old man getting in the way. My dad disapproved of that move—along with most of the other choices I've made growing up for that matter."

"Did you ever tell your father about your—well...relationships—like the one with...you know— your friend Ming, I mean?" Mako asked him awkwardly.

"Yeah—he discovered my _queer _orientation by accident," Tahno replied, shuffling his hands in his own lap, eyes cast down in that direction. "Speaking of which—you haven't mentioned anything about that to anyone else—right?" His eyes met up with auburn irises, holding a steady gaze with them.

"No—I didn't bother to mention it to anyone else," Mako assured him.

"Can you promise me you won't bring that up with _anyone else_—or _anything else _I might mention to you in the future that's connected with that?" Tahno inquired seriously. The firebender nodded slowly.

"I said that I would do what I could to make peace with you, and if that's what you want me to do—I promise I won't mention anything involving that to anybody else," Mako replied. "I'm not looking for a reason to start fighting with you all over again."

"Glad you can do that for me. After having to deal with all the slurs thrown my way and being beaten up constantly because of that _and _the cheating—I'd prefer _not _having it mentioned to anyone else," Tahno replied. He broke out in an abrupt yawn, bringing his hand up to obscure his wide gaping mouth until it was finished. "I think I need to turn in for the evening. That fall into Yue Bay zapped me of everything, and it's gonna take me a full evening of sleep just to recover."

Mako suppressed his own yawn, nodding in agreement. "There's something we can mutually agree on."

"Head out then before we both collapse in exhaustion, Fireboy," Tahno insisted, voice further exposing his weariness. The firebender struggled to his feet, yawning again before making his way towards the door.

Mako turned to look back in the ex-bender's direction before making his departure, addressing him with a quick, "Good night," before closing the door behind him. The former waterbender quickly returned the response, and then settled his head into the pillows and fell asleep.

XoXoX

The following day on the job was long and uneventful for Mako. A few small incidences, but no major chases or priority scenario arrests, and only a few warnings were given out for petty theft. He stopped into the station to check out for the day. His superior, Ishio, was sitting at his desk looking over paperwork when he came in. Upon hearing the young firebender's approach, he looked up and smiled.

"Long day?" Ishio noted to him.

Mako gave a curt nod. "Long, and uneventful."

"Ah, the life of a law enforcement officer. Not every day is going to be fast paced and exciting."

"I'm glad today wasn't all that busy," Mako replied, taking a seat in a chair on the opposite side of the desk from Ishio's. "I've had a lot to deal with on my plate lately, and I didn't want to add more to it."

"What seems to be burdening you, hotman?" Ishio casually asked him. He was like a father figure in a way to the young firebender, or at least that's how he'd always seen him anyways after several months of working under Ishio. Mako sighed heavily, sinking comfortably into his chair.

"Korra's been gone a long time without sending any word back about her progress. Each day that passes that I don't hear back from her is another day I worry about her," Mako began to explain, adding, "Plus—I worry all the time that Bo's going to have some trouble with something and I will need to help him. And—Tahno's also been a predicament for me since the day I rescued him the first time."

"Tahno's the former waterbender you fished out of the river channel some days back, correct?" Ishio inquired. Mako nodded.

"He's been suicidal," Mako informed him. "His friend committed suicide a month ago, and he says he's been having a rough time recently. He's been consuming a lot of my concentration lately, with me wondering if he'll make another attempt at it again, and me wanting to make sure that he doesn't. I didn't save him _twice _only to have my efforts end up done in vain."

"Tahno was from the team competing against yours during the probending championship—the ones that Amon dealt a blow against on the main stage as an example to all the other benders of what he was capable of during his campaign—correct?" Ishio asked him. Mako nodded.

"The Wolfbats waterbender," Mako clarified. Ishio's expression turned grave then, the firebender noticed, and he had to wonder why. His superior's sudden change in demeanor had Mako concerned—

"There's an incident I personally attended to involving that ex-waterbender of yours that I think you should probably know about," Ishio stated seriously. "It occurred about a week and a half after the Amon incident. Let me get the records involved in it and fill you in on the details." He got up from his seat and started milling around looking for several documents. All the while, Mako watched his movements, perplexed.

"What could be so crucial about the incident that it would be important in my dealings with Tahno?" Mako questioned. Ishio stopped in place for a moment, back turned away from the firebender as he searched through some paperwork in front of him.

"Let me show you the details of the case," Ishio turned to face the young firebender again. "You'll understand once you have."

XoXoX

Tahno couldn't stand being confined to his quarters any longer, feeling like he would go stir crazy if he didn't get up and start moving about.

Once Kya departed after bringing him his lunch, the room had become too uncomfortably quiet. It was the kind of quiet that makes the mind wander off towards thoughts that the mind would rather not linger on. Like thoughts about the Amon incident, the beatings he took from ex-rivals afterwards, Ming's death—

After some effort and perseverance, he managed to get to his feet and slowly walk out of the room. The hallways along the way felt confining, but relief washed over him when he reached the more open expanse of one of the island's courtyards spreading out before him. He remained only semi-aware of his movements as his feet led him down the meandering path towards the pier where he had his mishap the other night. He only became fully aware of the fact when he was sitting down on the ledge, feet dangling over the edge several inches above the water's surface.

The surroundings were covered in a light blanket of fog; the city lying in the distance was partially obscured in the haze. The humidity-rich air made the waters lapping away at the supports holding the pier up hazy in appearance.

As Tahno's icy blues concentrated on the water's surface, he couldn't help thinking about Ming. That _hallucination _had been the thing that had sent him—startled—back stepping until he tripped over his own feet and fell and hit his head.

That _hallucination _he'd had of Ming—

_The season following their third probending championship win had just begun, their first match finished earlier that day—a clean and easy win. The competition hadn't known what hit them. Tahno and his two teammates had gone back to celebrate the easy win with a night of casual drinking. Shaozu had left shortly before with his girlfriend at the time, leaving Tahno and the earthbender alone in the privacy of their apartment. _

"_I didn't think you were the type to commit." Ming had a contemplative expression spread across his face, as if he was trying to figure out something he thought he already had figured out. "You have girls hanging off each arm constantly, and there's been more one-night stands for you than Shaozu and me have had combined. What makes me so special, eh?" _

"_You know me, Ming—those silly fangirls don't." About ten minutes before, Tahno had confessed to his teammate—to Ming—that he cared about him as more than just a friend. That he might love him—that it was romantic and not brotherly. Ming had taken the confession well, readily admitting that he too felt the same way in return. It hadn't been long afterwards that the two shared their first actual kiss together. A few minutes later after they had separated, Ming had started up their current conversation. _

_It had started out with a simple, "Were you thinking about making this serious?" _

_A very quick and simple answer had been made in response—"Yes." _

_From there the Wolfbats earthbender had looked at his friend quizzically and followed it up with that other statement. _

"_You know me better than anyone, Ming, and we've known each other for a while. Hell—the fact that you didn't feel repulsed by the fact that I said I freaking __**love you **__in a romantic way helped make it easier for me to want this." Tahno had sighed before taking a seat in the nearest chair. That left the earthbender standing there, his head stooped slightly to match his gaze with the waterbender's. _

"_If you promise me this won't mess with our ability to compete and that you're seriously willing to commit to this—I'd be more than happy to take our relationship to the next level." Ming had leaned in closer then, his hand gingerly running through the waterbender's dark, wavy locks by his face. _

"_We'll play better this year, I promise you that." The earthbender's fingers caressing his skin, it had felt so good—__**so good**__—"—and do you think I would've bothered to ask you about making this serious if I didn't mean it?" _

_Ming had only responded with a laugh, leaving the waterbender wondering 'what the hell' until the earthbender bothered to lean in closer and capture his lips when he was least expecting it— _

Tahno had kept that promise, and the two had agreed to keep the relationship secret from everyone else, partially because of their ever-loyal fanbase—what would the fangirls do if they knew? And also they knew it might not be the best exposure for the image of their team. Two of the teammates were in a committed relationship—the two _guys? _The White Falls Wolfbats wouldn't have made it as far with their popularity if the fans, and everyone else for that matter, knew, probably wouldn't have made it far at all—

They had bothered to keep Shaozu informed—he'd been cool with it as long as it didn't mess with the formula of the team—but left everyone else out of the loop. That hadn't kept some rumors from getting around—

Light of those rumors hadn't cropped up much until _after _Amon had dealt the team a heavy blow right there on center stage. The fan adoration had made a shift towards sympathy and pity. Because of their blatant cheating during the championship round against the Fire Ferrets—and their overall performance during that season for that matter—the Wolfbats ended up being scrutinized under a microscope by their critics, former rivals, and nonfans of the sport.

_That _had been the most painful time for Tahno to deal with. Mounting nightmares over what Amon had done to the trio—Ming had helped him work though those rough patches for the most part. But the way some of their former rivals acted towards them after the fact— especially him, the team captain—it had brought on a fresh crop of nightmares that had been harder for the former waterbender to deal with—

—And then the final nail in the coffin had been Ming's suicide. It had been so unexpected—had caught Tahno so off-guard, that it had taken all they had worked together to repair and tore it asunder like a stitched up wound coming undone. He dealt with the same mental torment all over again, only without the moral support he'd had before to get through it. And that had been what made the former waterbender crack, and almost take the same route as his best friend—

"Ming—really, what was your reason for leaving me like you did? It couldn't have been all about your bending, could it?" Tahno lifted his eyes from the surface of the water, looking across the bay at the city where he once reigned as king. Probending champion four times over, not so much a champion by any standard anymore—"Did they get to you too? Like they did me? Is _that _what made you think about ending it all?" he felt the tears welling. "Because if they did, we could've gotten through it together, damn it—"

"No, Tahno—I didn't get put through what you did—it wasn't that." The response—he at first believed it to be disembodied—sounding so close that the suddenness almost made the former waterbender fall off the pier all over again. He abruptly turned his head to his left side after he'd collected his nerves, and Tahno's eyes met up with those of Ming.

Or a _hallucination _of Ming—

"That knock to the head must have jumbled my mind more than I thought—because this is madness, this can't be real—" He pressed his face into his hands, trying to shake the irrationality from his mind. The hallucination—he couldn't be there. He just _couldn't be— _nobody outside the Avatar was capable of seeing spirits, if that was indeed what this was. He removed his face from his hands and looked up to his left again. _Ming _was still there. "You can't be real!"

"Why not?" Tahno thought that he must be going mad; the _hallucination of Ming _had responded.

"Because you can't _be here—_you're dead, damn it! I was the one who found you hanging by a noose, your face a hideous shade of blue. I was there when you were laid down in your final resting place. I _recall _your skin feeling cold and clammy—deathly—when I thought I had a chance of reviving you when I first discovered you hanging there! Unless that was all a hallucination, and I've gone mad—"

"You're right, man—I _am _dead, but that still doesn't mean _I _can't _be here _right now," The _hallucination _responded. What bewildered the ex-waterbender then was the substance of his deceased friend's hand suddenly coming to rest on his shoulder. He visibly shuddered.

"How—?" all words and comprehension escaped Tahno then. He stared at the figure of the former earthbender sitting there beside him, his mind trying to wrap itself around this unsettling reality, and having a hard time in doing so. He eventually rediscovered his voice. "How can I see you if you're actually _dead?" _

"The loss of your bending, the fact that you've come very close to that line between life and death a few times at least—those have made you sensitive to things you weren't before.

Mainly spirits—the departed souls of deceased people. Including mine." Ming's hand still felt very substantial while resting on his shoulder, and Tahno was having a very hard time denying that this was all real, that Ming actually _was _there—

"So...you're saying that all that trauma's made it so I can see spirits now—is that what you're saying?" There was a tremor in his voice. If this _wasn't _a hallucination, if his best friend really _was there_—

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Tahno." Each of those words hit the former waterbender like individual pinpricks. The impact left him involuntarily tearing up. The salty liquid built up until it cascaded down his cheeks in numbers.

"Why did you have to kill yourself? Damn it, Ming—we could've worked through whatever it was!" Tahno had managed to get over the denial of his friend's presence. "You helped me through all the shit I put up with that made me consider doing the same thing before—"

"You really want to know why I did it? Huh?" Ming shouted at him. After a moment of silence, the ex-waterbender nodded. "I did it _for you_. I received some threats not long before I did it that I had two options—take myself out of the picture permanently, or stand by and be helpless as you were put through the same kind of shit as before all over again. I couldn't bear the thought of you being put through that all over again, all right? After the last time—" He let the words hang. His ethereal hand rose up and ghosted itself across the side of the ex- waterbender's face. Tahno couldn't feel it, but he imagined that he could. Imagined that those fingertips were tracing their way across his skin—"I didn't want to see you ever get hurt like that again. Got it?"

"Damn it, Ming—you've got me crying and being so damn emotional while I'm out here in such a public place..." Tahno reached up and wiped at his face with his sleeve. "They've got me on suicide watch, so there's bound to be somebody out there seeing me make a fool of myself."

"For the time being, the only person that I can sense watching you specifically right now is a little girl," Ming told him. The former waterbender eyes began darting around rapidly looking for the little girl in question, but he found nothing. "She's keeping herself inconspicuous. You'd really have to know where to look to spot her. She's there though, I can assure you of that."

"Which little girl is it? "Tahno questioned the apparition. "There are two of them on this spiritsawful island."

"The older one," Ming responded.

"Ugh—at least that one isn't nearly as annoying as her little sister," Tahno muttered.

"If you're so worried about looking like a fool in such a public place, why'd you park yourself at the end of the pier in the first place?" Ming asked him. "Besides that—why would you want to come here? I can still see marks from where you hit your head when you fell off here the other night." He pointed to a particular board at the very end of the pier. There appeared to be faint bloodstains on the wood still. Tahno looked at his friend's spirit, at the stains, and then shuddered.

"You just had to remind me of that," Tahno answered bitterly. He quickly got to his feet and briskly made his way off the pier towards a more secluded portion of the beach not too far away. He took a seat on some jagged rocks along the shoreline, noticing as soon as he sat down that the spirit of the former earthbender had joined him.

"You just had to choose a rocky place to park your ass, didn't you?" Ming remarked offhandedly. The ex-waterbender gave him a halfhearted smirk.

"I've got water surrounding me _on all sides—_so just learn to deal," Tahno shot back. His ice blue eyes trailed out onto the vast expanse of water, the smirk dying on his face rather quickly.

"Tahno, can you _please _promise me you won't make another attempt on you life?" Ming's pleading tone drew the ex-waterbender's eyes away from the water. "I know things have been rough for you with me being gone, but I don't want you to make the same mistake I did. In the end—it's not worth it."

"Ming, damn it...I can't make any promises about that." Tahno hung his head, letting the tears flow down his face and strike the surface of the water crashing onto shore at his feet. "Right now...I'm still uncertain whether I want to make the effort or not. I don't know if I've found a reason to keep going."

"What about all that stuff the Fire Ferrets firebender's been telling you—or the fact that the guy's put in the effort to save you _twice? _Don't you think that's enough of a motivation to at least try?" Ming pointed out to him. The former waterbender couldn't seem to find his voice to answer—instead he sat there, looking out across the hazy bay as silence set in.

XoXoX

The air hung heavy with the musty aroma of moist cement, the room confining and the lighting dim. Scant muffles of sound barely penetrated the silence the former businessman encountered; because of his crimes, his allegiances, Hiroshi Sato was a wanted man—kept locked away in solitary confinement away from the other prisoners who otherwise would have tried for a piece of him because of their _differing points of view_.

Hiroshi hadn't seen the light of day in what seemed an eternity; how many days had passed— weeks, months? Too many to keep track of in this infernal cramped space nearly swallowed by shadows.

One dim light fixture was his savior from being devoured completely by the shades; all he had to give him some semblance of daylight was one measly, pathetic light source. He eyed his source of illumination with contempt, huffing an irritable breath before going back to listening to the far off echoing of dripping water and human activity.

In the shades he had company; during those long stretches of time undeterminable he did have somebody to speak to that kept him from unhinging his sanity. Her voice was warm and soothing like he remembered, the sight of her as radiant as the day they first met. She shared much of his estranged daughter's striking features, with a balancing of some of her own.

"I never doubted your cause," her voice echoed soothingly in the otherwise claustrophobic space. "They just didn't understand your point—but how could they have?"

"Yes, yes—how could they understand the cause I devoted much of my adult life towards?" Hiroshi responded with a question. "How could they _not _see the destruction those _monsters _of the human race create with their mere presence? How much better off the world would be if it were cleansed of that influence?"

"The world would be better if it weren't polluted by the presence of so many benders," her voice amiably agreed. "Why should they be given such a gift when they only choose to exploit it?"

"Abuse of such power—just pure _abuse_," Hiroshi uttered furiously.

"It was that abuse of such a gift that lead to my untimely demise, my darling," she stirred him even further.

"Yes, yes—my beloved, darling wife—their wicked actions cost you your life with the abuse of those powers they wrongfully possess," Hiroshi uttered in response, voice emanating his hatred. "Powers that no human should have ever been able to possess."

"The time is soon arriving where you will get a chance to set things right," she assured him.

"I look forward to that, my dear." The corners of the former businessman's lips turned upwards in a maniacal grin. In an instant, that feminine companion of his diminished with the shades as the lighting intensified with the approach of a guard entering into the chamber of Hiroshi's secluded cellblock.

"Have you lost enough of your sanity being confined in here to start rambling to yourself?" the guard noted offhandedly as he brought the tray of the former businessman's meal towards Hiroshi's cell. "Must be pretty damn unnerving being in this confined, dark space for long periods of time for you to start babbling nonsense to yourself." He slid the tray through a slot reserved for passing the former businessman's meals to him without opening his cell door.

"Doesn't matter to me if you go mad in here though; I'm only bothering to stop by to deliver you your food so you don't starve." The guard's voice carried an obvious edge to it, as he—like many others—only held disdain for the man and his depraved ideals. "Wouldn't want to be the one to scrape your starved carcass off the cement floor if you were to somehow perish during your stay here."

The guard closed the slot up and made his exit without shedding another word of his opinion of Hiroshi from his mouth. The lighting dimmed once more, and Hiroshi was soon joined by that feminine presence once again. Spying her figure even in the dank shadows, his devilish grin grew even more pronounced.

"Everything will be set right soon—my dear."


	4. Chapter 4

The short ferry ride back to Air Temple Island was one Mako barely acknowledged. His mind wasn't on his fellow passengers or the ferry operator, nor was he paying attention to the ripples of the waters gently cresting against the sides of the vessel.

_Mako, I'm certain that it was the former waterbender I dealt with. Even if he didn't give a name and hardly wanted any help from me or anyone else after the healers were through with him, I'd know that face anywhere. I was in the station the day they brought him in for his testimonial after Amon's attack on the probending arena, and I've been an avid fan of probending for the past fifteen years. His is a face I'd have a hard time forgetting. _

_What happened to him then? Tell me_.

Ishio told him. And oh—what a tale his superior had to tell. Mako could hardly believe his ears as the older earthbender told him the details of the account. Could barely fathom what had _really happened _as being real—

_Ishio—if all that info is true—if he really was the victim in this particular case that you handled, why would he not bother to give his name or refuse your help when you offered it? _

_It's just the nature of the case, Mako. Not everyone who is put through that kind of ordeal wants to talk about it—or seek help for it. They'd rather deal with it on their own. _

"We've reached the pier," the ferry operator's voice took Mako from his thoughts. The firebender acknowledged the man's statement with a quick nod.

"Thanks." Mako's eyes were automatically drawn towards the pier that extended out from the shore to greet the water-faring vessel. The firebender carefully made his way off board the small vessel and onto that stretch leading towards shore.

It only seemed like a short time ago that he jumped off the end of that very same pier to save the ex-waterbender from drowning again. He could almost sense the water as it engulfed him, soaking him from head to toe. The thought of the chill of that evening-cooled liquid sent an involuntary shudder up his spine. He fast-paced it off that pier, wanting to quickly put those thoughts and sensations behind him. In his hurry he almost sent a certain young airbending girl flying.

"Jinora? What are you doing out here, hanging out by the shore all by yourself?" Mako exclaimed. She quickly tried to _shush _him, getting an odd stare in response.

"You're going to alert him to my presence out here," Jinora practically hissed. With strength unexpected of her smaller stature, she _pulled _him off to the side behind a jutting rock formation.

"Who? What are you talking about?" Mako questioned her, in a more hushed voice. Jinora held fast to him, her attention diverted towards something else for several long moments.

"Over there, on the beach," Jinora spoke just above a whisper, pointing in the direction she was indicating. "He's sitting over there on that rocky outcropping talking to himself."

"Who?" Mako strained his neck to see around the rock formation.

"The ex-waterbender who tried to hurt himself," Jinora replied. "The one my father appointed me to keep an eye on, Tahno."

"Tenzin told you to keep an eye on him?" Mako asked her. She nodded.

"I can keep watch without him noticing me as much," Jinora informed him. "It helps that I'm

light on my feet."

"I'll bet," Mako commented. Airbending—a rare elemental talent indeed—had some major advantages to it—"What's he been talking about? Does he seem crazy?"

"It sounds like he's been holding up a one-sided conversation with somebody nobody else but he can see," Jinora responded. She insisted with a motion of her hand that he listen in on the odd conversation being held on that more secluded stretch of beach.

"Ming, damn it...I can't make any promises about that. Right now...I'm still uncertain whether I want to make the effort or not. I don't know if I've found a reason to keep going." Mako barely managed to make out the ex-bender's words above the crashing of waves against the rocks on shore. He saw the former waterbender sitting there, his back facing their direction. The firebender noticed as the ex-bender's shoulders sagged somewhat, and then begin to shake. Mako then caught the undeniable sound of the former bender sobbing.

"Yeah, he did help me out—but you're the only one who understood me, Ming—the only one who knows about everything that I've gone through! Damn it Ming—how can you expect _me _to be that trusting with _anyone _else? Huh?" The ex-bender threw his hands up in the air, and then brought them down to his sides again quickly. His excessive sobbing carried over even the loud roaring of water striking up against the shore.

The somber noise brought the firebender's thoughts back to his conversation with his superior earlier before he left the station—about the case Ishio made a point of informing him about—

_Do you understand, Mako, why I needed to bring this case to your attention? _

_Yeah, I do, but Ishio...if all that info is true—if he really was the victim in this particular case that you handled—why would he not bother to give his name or refuse your help when you offered it? _

_It's just the nature of the case, Mako. Not everyone who is put through that kind of ordeal wants to talk about it—or seek help for it. They'd rather deal with it on their own. From time to time I've had to investigate cases similar to his, and a good percentage of the time, the victims withdraw themselves from seeking help—or even talking about what happened. For the individual—you've got to understand that it's very traumatizing for the victim to go through something like that. _

_Are you saying that he's probably kept the details of this to himself, Ishio? _

_If he considered telling anyone about it at all, it would be someone he was really close to—and I'm guessing that particular person was his friend who committed suicide recently. _

"Hey, Jinora—could you go elsewhere for the time being so I can have a private chat with him?" Mako asked the young airbender. She stood there, silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"Just—be careful you don't scare him. I don't want to see him accidently hurt himself all over again like he did the other night," Jinora told him. Before the firebender could respond to that, she was up and out of there. Mako turned his eyes towards the raven-haired young man whose back was still facing his direction—who was shaking as sobbing convulsions overtook him. Silently, cautiously, he emerged from his hiding spot behind that rocky outcropping and approached the spot where the tormented former waterbender was.

"Hey, are you okay Tahn—" Mako began to ask as he came up right beside the former waterbender. The words froze on the firebender's lips as Tahno did an abrupt turn in shock, the ex-bender losing his balance and almost plummeting headfirst into the jagged rocks he

was perched on the edge of. Mako didn't have time to think as his body moved automatically to ensure that the ex-bender's head didn't end up cracked open by those sharp and pointy rocks.

The firebender caught the ex-bender in his arms halfway into his fall. After the chaos of the moment subsided, Mako still had the former waterbender cradled in his grasp. Tahno stared up at the firebender awkwardly as he continued to hold him in that position, his face rouging slightly in embarrassment.

"Never thought I'd end up in your arms like this," Tahno commented awkwardly. Mako snapped out of whatever trance he'd been in and awkwardly helped the ex-bender get himself situated back onto his perch on the rocks. "So—you returned only to have to save my sorry ass all over again." Tahno averted his gaze out towards the water, not willingly able to look the firebender's way. "We seem to be making a pattern of this—whether it's been my own fault or it's just purely coincidence."

Mako found a spot right beside the ex-bender that was comfortable enough for him sit on and sat down. "So...ahem—who were you talking to a few minutes ago? I thought I heard you having a conversation with someone else out here."

"How long have you been out here spying on me?" Tahno exclaimed all of a sudden, looking around frantically as if seeking out other potential _spies. _The firebender couldn't help laughing a bit at the ex-bender's reaction, earning him an odd look in exchange.

"Relax—you and I are the only ones out here, and I've only been out here a little while," Mako assured him.

"What about that little airbending girl that was here earlier—the older, quieter one?" Tahno questioned him.

"I told her to go elsewhere so I could have a private chat with you," Mako told him, smiling slightly. He lost the smile. "But seriously though—who were you talking to? When I discovered you out here it looked like you were falling apart. It also sounded like you were talking to your deceased _friend_, Ming."

"I _was _talking with Ming—and before you can go accusing me of sounding crazy about having chats with hallucinations—I need you to know that there's a reason why I've been able to see him lately," Tahno cast his eyes out towards the water, transfixed with the incoming currents. "My brushes with death, combined with the loss of my bending...it's made it so I'm capable of seeing and communicating with peoples' spirits."

"That sounds a bit farfetched," Mako commented. The former waterbender gave a short chuckle.

"Believe me—it took a lot of convincing before I bought it myself," Tahno replied, sighing. "I kept trying to deny that his presence was real, but there was no way I could keep doing that when he was persistently trying to get my attention. Didn't help that his hand on my shoulder earlier felt so...substantial."

"Hey—so...um—what were you and Ming...talking about then? You looked like you were pretty torn up when I got out here, like whatever the two of you were talking about was affecting you pretty badly." Mako looked at the ex-bender, who was still looking out towards the water. "It sounded like...whatever you _two _were talking about had to do with something you've only told him about—something you weren't comfortable discussing with anyone else." The former waterbender's shoulders visibly stiffened. "Is that what it was? Did something traumatic happen that you couldn't trust telling anyone else about besides him?"

"So what if it was? What's it to you?" Tahno's gaze was now on the firebender, furrow to his

brow and a distinct downward curve to each side of his lips.

"My superior back at the station told me about a particular case he worked on some months back involving a pretty vicious incident—one where the victim was brutally beaten," Mako responded. It was his turn to not look at the ex-bender and instead divert his auburn eyes out towards the water. "The victim wouldn't give his identity, but Ishio—my superior—was pretty confident that the victim in that case was _you._"

"How can your boss be so positive that _I _was the victim in that case he investigated?" Tahno exclaimed, his voice pitching. The firebender dared to look back up at him.

"He says your face isn't the type he'd forget all that easily," Mako informed him. "He's a long- time, avid probending fan. He knows who you are."

"I...could've been the victim in your boss's case," Tahno replied, eyes slightly downcast. "Did your boss say when it happened?"

"About a week and a half after the championship tournament—and Amon's attack," Mako replied. The ex-bender looked like he'd just been slapped in the face.

"I guess your boss's good at recalling faces," Tahno stated somberly. "Yeah—that was me...I was that victim." He began fiddling with his hands in his lap, suddenly seeming more than just a little uncomfortable. Remembering some of the details Ishio had given him about the case— Mako got a very real sense of why that was.

"Hey, Tahno—do you think you can tell me about what happened? About the person who attacked you?" Mako inquired. The former waterbender looked up at him with anxious icy blue eyes.

"I-I don't think I can talk about it," Tahno responded quickly in a quavering voice. "Besides—if your boss already told you all the details, why would you need to know about it from me?"

"Because I want to hear about it from your perspective," Mako told him. "I know the details of it play a big factor in why you decided that you wanted to die. If you continue to keep it to yourself and let it eat you up inside, it's only a matter of time before it'll make you want to attempt suicide again—and I've invested too much of myself into this to let you go through with it. You've got me concerned about you, and I'm in it for the long run—whether you like it or not."

The former waterbender kept hearing Ming's disembodied voice whispering in his ear.

"_Just tell him, Tahno_."

"_You can't keep letting it fester inside and make things worse_."

"Ming—I don't think I—" Tahno tried arguing his point, but the former earthbender persistently kept attempting to persuade him.

"_I won't let you get to the point that I reached."_

__"_That Fire Ferret seems to have a good head on his shoulders—and he seems like the right _

_guy to talk about it with."_

__"_So just go ahead and __**tell him**__." _

"Alright Ming—I get your point!" Tahno shouted exasperatedly. Meanwhile the firebender stared at him blankly, taken a bit off guard by the sudden outburst. "You wanna know what

happened to me so badly, huh Fireboy? I'll tell you what happened." He slouched his shoulders and hung his head; his lackluster dark locks obscuring his face. "The man who attacked me was from the team we practically _slaughtered _in the playoffs before we duked it out against you Fire Ferrets in the championship round. We—the Wolfbats—cleared the field rather quickly of that trio—maybe a little _too _quickly." The former waterbender sniffled and brought his sleeve up swiftly to wipe at his eyes.

"At first I thought I was dealing with a routine robbery. I'd heard the tales of benders harassing nonbenders for their valuables, so it made perfect logical sense at first. At least...until the guy decided to make it personal." He reached for a stray stone resting on the beach nearby, grabbing it and absently passing it between his hands as he continued. "The guy said that one of his teammates, one me and Ming collaborated in taking out with one of our combined _dirty tactics_, ended up in the hospital with some pretty extensive injuries that he almost didn't recover from. Apparently it took a week just to revive him. The guy was livid with me because it was _my _cheating move that had sent _his friend _to the hospital and almost took him out permanently—my fault. He wanted vengeance for his friend, and was wiling to sink pretty low to exact it. He started out just beating me up, like most of my other furious ex-rivals did—taking out his anger by throwing a few punches at my face, chest, abdomen and a few other places."

"Somehow..." the ex-bender hesitated to continue for a moment, fighting back the tears that wanted to come. An invisible _hand _on his shoulder gave him the willpower to hold them back. "Somehow—the man found out that Ming was my boyfriend. He assumed that we spent a lot of our time while we were getting physical with each other in bed coming up with ways to cheat our competition in the arena. Because of that...he figured the best way to exact his revenge...was to humiliate me." He struggled to hold back his sobbing, but he managed to do so—just barely.

"He had me cornered—pinned against a rough brick wall where all my attempts to struggle were made useless. He used his earthbending to restrain my wrists so I had no way to escape. I'm no weakling, but because he had that advantage over me with his bending—he easily overpowered me. He began rough-handling me while I was unable to resist, throwing all kinds of derogatory remarks in my face because of what I'd done and what he thought I was. He was pulling at my hair, my clothes—"

The ex-bender broke down, not able to contain his sobbing any longer. Mako let him work it out of his system, getting the sense that he _needed _to. Eventually the sobbing subsided, and the ex-bender continued.

"In that dark back alley...where nobody could hear me screaming...I felt so alone—so _trapped. _He found pleasure in using that to his advantage when he proceeded to rape me."

The air became heavy with condensation, the thin mist thickening to medium drizzle. A breeze started to pick up, sending his dark locks flailing around his face in disarray, resonating the dispirited mood the ex-bender was exuding.

"The whole thing was excruciatingly painful; he must've penetrated me more times than I was able to count. He left me as a bruised, battered, and bleeding mess in that alley; I was afraid that I'd bleed to death right there in that spot. I was in and out of consciousness so many times I lost track if minutes had passed—or if it had been days. I remember that a kind faced man discovered me, and eventually awaking to the flow of water running all over my skin as the healers went to work trying to repair my broken body. They did a great job fixing that up for the most part, but they sure didn't do a very good job fixing me mentally." The drizzle turned to a soft downpour; it was hard to tell if it was just drips of rainwater dribbling down the former waterbender's cheeks—or if they were tears.

"You didn't deserve that," Mako said to him. The former waterbender sniffled, struggling to hold back the waves of sobbing that threatened to break from him all over again. "I'm sorry

you even had to be put through an ordeal like that." The ex-bender forced his ice-blue gaze in the firebender's direction, his eyes wide and clearly distraught. Tears were evidently streaming down his face.

"I get why someone would want to beat me up for what I've done—we cheated. We did dirty things up there in the arena—I'm not proud of my actions during the probending finals now... but I _never _plotted those moves during my most intimate moments with Ming. Being with Ming, being with another _guy—_it wasn't just about being physical with him. I _loved _him, just like any man who's deeply in love with his girlfriend—or wife. What that man did to me—it wasn't just about getting vengeance for what I did. He figured he knew what I was—_who _I was—and went out of his way to _humiliate me _in the worst way he possibly could." Tahno buried his face in his hands, his body trembling as he openly cried. "I'll never understand why he also had to resort to _raping me _to get his message across!"

"It wasn't right of him to do that to you," Mako told him, looking at him sadly. "That was ignorant and wrong." He felt bad, watching the ex-bender crumble right there beside him.

"Do you understand now why I wanted to die after all I've been through?" Tahno lifted his tearstained face up.

"Yeah—I think I do." Mako pursed his lips. "But...that doesn't mean I agree with you thinking that you should."

Tahno sobbed into his hands as drizzle from the skies above began to pick up its pace, forming larger droplets and coming down harder and in vaster numbers. As the raindrops began pelting his skin, the ex-bender looked up towards the heavens—the haze-hidden skies that were shedding tears down on him at the same time as he. He then redirected his icy blues out towards the churning waters, transfixing them with their increasingly violent currents. After a few moments of silence from his ceased sobbing, the ex-waterbender climbed off his rocky perch and got to his feet, walking directly towards the incoming whitecaps.

Mako watched blankly as the former waterbender waded out into the water until it reached up to his knees. The currents churned around his legs, causing him to brace himself against their impact. Unconsciously, the firebender rushed out after the ex-bender, the theory fresh in his mind that the former waterbender might try doing something drastic out there in the water. Mako caught up to Tahno just as his legs gave out from under him. The ex-bender clung to the firebender as he began to sob uncontrollably. Without a second thought, Mako drew him in to an embrace, allowing the ex-bender to cry on his shoulder as he worked out his grief while the rising tides continued to crash into them.

"Just let it out," Mako's voice barely carried above the whistling gales of wind. "Grieve until you get it out of your system."

Tahno continued to cry to the point of exhaustion. Eventually Mako had to carry him out of the water because the ex-bender was too exhausted to do it himself. As the firebender brought the ex-waterbender up towards the comforting warmth of shelter, he noticed the ex-bender was shivering; Mako was certain that Tahno would suffer some repercussions from being exposed to the elements—

XoXoX

The weather was treacherous, but Kami braved it to visit with the man she'd discovered unconscious under a stack of wooden boards in the warehouse near the probending Arena more than some several months back.

She didn't know his name, and since the black haired, pale complexioned man had remained unconscious the entire time since she found him, she couldn't just ask him for it. She'd later learned the identity he'd applied to himself from one of her friends that helped her on the

scene—that the man was Amon's second In command. Regardless, she felt the need to check in with him every few days, whenever time allowed her to. Since then, her mother had been lucky; she had found work to support the two of them financially. Six months later and they now had a roof over their heads and food on the table.

Kami hoped today would be the day the man would awake; there were so many questions she wanted to ask him: was he really involved in the campaign of the man who had wanted to take her special abilities away? Would he despise her for using them to save him? Also, more mundane questions like—what was his name, or what was his life like before the accident that left him comatose?

Not many people waited with her in the lobby; the turbulent ongoing storm had seen to that. She stared at the simple bouquet in her hands, looking at the embellished card with the characters for '_get well soon!' _scrawled across the ivory parchment attached to it at the tie that held it together. She smiled, feeling certain that today would be the day—the day the man would finally awake.

A nursing attendant that been handling the man's case since he'd been admitted to the facility spied the girl sitting patiently in the lobby as she passed through the doors.

"Here to see the man you rescued some months back?" the attendant addressed Kami, who looked up and smiled in the same way she always did.

"How is he? Has he woken up yet?" Kami asked her hopefully. The nursing attendant, a woman Kami knew by the name of Marika, nodded and smiled faintly.

"He woke up this morning," Marika informed her, her face losing what semblance of good humor it previously displayed. "But you just missed him. I'm sorry, Kami—he checked himself out about an hour ago without saying a word about who he was or where he was off to."

Kami's smiled fell right from her face. "Oh." She looked down at the bouquet in her hands, holding it out to Marika. "If—by chance...he does come back—can you be sure he gets these?"

"I'll see what I can do," Marika replied, somewhat dubious.

"Thanks." Kami turned to leave. She heard Marika saying something, but—not sure if she was speaking with her still or somebody else—she kept moving along.

"There was something a little odd about that man's eyes when he checked himself out. Those blue eyes of his...they looked—I don't know...possessed. He also walked a bit stiffly. I know he's been bed-bound the past six months, but—I don't think even six months of laying in bed could create a stiff a gait as his was—"

Kami exited the hospital and headed out into the storm. Thankfully, she had her bending to keep her dry, since she hadn't bothered to bring an umbrella with her. She trudged her way along, feeling as dispirited as the storm itself.

XoXoX

_She would forever hear the echoing of his disappointed words aimed her direction. _

_Disappointment in letting him down, betraying him—his cause; disappointment at choosing the enemy over family—and claiming that he didn't recognize the line between justice and revenge anymore. _

_She would forever see the fathoms of hatred embroiled by that disappointment at the choices she decided to make—the side she decided to align herself with hidden in the depths of those once familiar eyes. Eyes that were once friendly towards her, filled with love, hidden partially by reflections on the lens of his glasses. That would crinkle up at the corners every time he smiled at her, when he showed his pride in having her for a daughter. _

_The hatred forever marred the facade those loving reminders created. The soft crinkles were now harshly drawn in revulsion and deep-seated hatred. Eyes were now alight with irrational fury for a cause that had grown to unfounded reaches, and a mind hidden behind them—once brilliant—now tarnished by cruelty and a strong desire for vengeance. _

_Those very eyes, so filled with loathing towards the daughter he once looked at with love, were staring her down as he attempted to smite her life away with a blow from his own mechanical creation. The two were pitted against one another—he in the cockpit of one of his mecha, she in the other. _

_Everything for a time had been going in slow motion; his threats aimed at her bellowing in long pronounced syllables as if a recording being played in super slow motion. Low, rumbling, maniacal—The unintelligible slow-mo utterances sounded more the cry of a wounded animal than that a familiar human being. Nothing took away from that diabolical enhancement in his expression as the eerie blue light reflected off his glasses, or how his mouth twisted on the words slowly sputtering from his lips. _

_And then, it all began to speed up once again, and she had to make a split-second decision that would decide if she salvaged her life from her own father's savagery against her, or succumb to it. In the matter of a nanosecond, it would be decided if she truly was a traitor to him, or if she would perish while regaining her father's respect once again by succumbing to his will— _

_All the while, her father's words echoed uncannily just before he made the decisive strike: _"_There will come a day when I will finally get what I truly desire out of you, Asami—" _"_Your life will once again be mine—" _

Asami awoke with labored breathing and a thudding in her chest. She shot upwards, trying to regain some semblance of which reality she belonged to. She kept hearing the echo of her father's words in her head even as her heartbeats rattled her eardrums.

—_will finally get what I truly desire—Your life will once again be mine—get what I desire—Your life will be mine—what I desire—Your life...mine— _

She shuddered involuntarily as they continued to resonate. After several months had passed, Asami had believed that she was over her nightmares involving her father, but over the last several nights—she'd been awoken by same or similar visions.

And her father, Hiroshi's voice—threatening claim on her life—

Asami couldn't fathom what it all meant. Everything was going well; business had picked up, her father's tarnishing reputation scrubbed clean from its name. And, for the past several months—Hiroshi had been incarcerated, locked away in solitary confinement—so she'd been told anyways. She should feel safe, feel assured that he didn't pose a threat to her anymore. But if her dreams paid any testament to anything, it seemed to be a message—a foreboding omen that something dark was going to happen—that her father would be at the center of it.

But, like the many other nights her sleep had been disrupted by these nightmares, Asami tried shrugging it all off and attempted to get back to sleep. Her workday the previous afternoon had been overwhelming, and she needed as much rest as she could obtain, and nightmares couldn't prevent her from that. So, she rolled onto her side, closed her eyes, and tried to strike a deal with the sandman.

XoXoX

Warmth—warmth all around. Tahno couldn't stop his body from shivering, but at least there was the comfort of warmth surrounding him. He noticed there were sheets and blankets pulled up around him as he came to. He also noticed there was something with a bit of weight to it putting some pressure up against his right shoulder. To his groggy-laden mind, it felt like the weight of a hand, comfortably resting there.

"Ming..." He woke up immediately when he was met with a pair of eyes staring back at him—a pair of soft reddish-brown eyes buried on a face full of ruddy reddish and white fur, topped by softly rounded, huge white-accented ears.

"Yah!" Tahno almost sent the furry creature flying, but thankfully a pair of hands wrested the creature away from his face before it could be launched into space.

"Pabu, some people don't appreciate it when you get in their faces." It was the familiar voice of Mako's younger brother, the earthbender Bolin. Tahno sat up quickly to spy the young earthbender seated in a chair beside his bed, playing with the squirming fire ferret in his grasp.

"Why was that thing in my face?" Tahno exclaimed, looking at the furry creature particularly. Bolin stopped himself from getting angry it seemed, taking a deep breath while he continued to entertain his fire ferret companion.

"Pabu has a keen sense of when somebody's feeling down, and I guess he thought you needed some cheering up," Bolin explained, setting the furry ferret down on the floor gently. "Probably wasn't the best way for him to do that, but considering the situation—it was something Pabu wasn't completely off with in regards to his intentions; my bro informed me that you had a really rough day yesterday."

"Are you telling me I slept straight through last night?" Tahno exclaimed.

"Yeah, my bro said you were completely exhausted by the time he managed to carry you up here last night. It was getting dark out when he got you through the door. Kya helped him get you prepped for bed." Bolin bent down to scratch Pabu under the chin before continuing.

"When I bothered to ask him about it, he said you and he got caught out in the beginning of this nasty storm that's still going on, and that he helped you deal with a load of grief you were struggling with."

"Tell me—what all did your _bro _tell you about the incident?" Tahno pressed. The earthbender shrugged.

"You were dealing with a mental breakdown that Mako felt the need to help you get through," Bolin responded. "He didn't give me any specifics outside of him saying that you guys were out in the rain while you were dealing with your issues, and that it's possible you might've picked up a cold from the exposure."

Tahno began to again acknowledge how he was uncontrollably shivering, regardless of the fact that air in the room was perfectly warm. He also noticed that there was a bit of a sweat accumulation on his brow.

"From my perspective, you're looking a little under the weather," Bolin spoke up, his green eyes focused on the former waterbender. "And also a little paler than usual." He stood up and walked over to a little stool nearby, a small steaming pot resting on the middle of it. He took a ladle sitting right beside it, and produced a bowl from nearby. He then dipped the ladle into the pot, drawing some broth from it and putting it in the bowl. He did this a couple more times before he set the ladle aside and brought the bowl over to the ex-bender. "Usually nobody gets the luxury of having their food delivered to them in their rooms, but right now—you're an

exception. With how you've been looking since you got here, it'd probably be a little difficult for you to eat in the common dining hall. Especially now, when you look like you're gonna—" As if on cue, the ex-bender sneezed. "—sneeze." The ex-bender sneezed again, and Bolin waited another minute before he handed the soup bowl over to him. "And usually—the island's residents get whatever's grown on the island served to them, but Pema I guess felt extra sympathetic about you and had ingredients for water tribe grub specially shipped over just for you. That's a nice thing for her to do, you know."

"And I appreciate that she did that," Tahno replied. He hesitated before sinking the spoon the earthbender had handed over to him into the simple stew, fighting with the sensation that he was going to sneeze again. When the feeling subsided, the tip of the spoon was gratefully dunked into the brothy mixture and brought up quickly to sample the contents of the bowl. The taste was pleasant and welcoming. "Especially since this really hits the spot."

"Glad you like it," Bolin smiled. "And, just out of curiosity—you don't have a thing against animals or anything—do you? I kinda recall you being really freaked out by Korra's polar bear dog Naga back at Narook's that one time."

"Who wouldn't be freaked out by a huge dog like that if they weren't expecting it?" Tahno exclaimed. "I mean—I've heard water tribe tales about how vicious polar bear dogs can be in the wild. Those creatures usually can't be tamed. The Uhvatar's I'd say is an exception."

"Korra—her _name _is _Korra_," Bolin insistently corrected. "She's not an Uhvatar, or Ahvatar, or whatever silly nickname you wanna give her. She's either just Korra or _Avatar _Korra."

"Okay, okay—if it'll make you stop correcting me _every time I say it_—I'll start calling her _Korra,_" Tahno replied with an eye roll. "And geez—I wasn't trying to be insulting when I called her that. It was just a nickname I came up with that kind of stuck." He took a few more spoonfuls of the soup before adding. "And to answer your question about if I have something against animals or not—no, I don't have anything against them. I'm not really lovey-dovey over them either. They're just _there. _I acknowledge them, they acknowledge me and don't do anything to hurt me—we're good. Does that answer the question clearly?"

"Crystal clear," Bolin responded, smiling slightly. He picked up his furry friend again, babying the furry little creature lovingly. The ex-bender watched without comment.

"So—could I bother to ask you a couple of things?" Tahno set aside the now empty bowl. The young earthbender retrieved it from him after setting his furry friend down on the floor again. Then Bolin's green eyes met with the former waterbender's.

"Hey, yeah, as long as what you're gonna ask isn't condescending or perverted—shoot," Bolin told him.

"Geez—you really think that's what I'm all about?" Tahno shot him a particular look. The earthbender grinned goofily.

"I gotta say that that's what you're known for," Bolin admitted honestly. "So—what did you wanna ask me, seriously?"

"Ugh—did your brother tell you how he got me back up here?" Tahno asked him, sounding a little perturbed. "I recall him leading me off the beach, but after maybe getting less than halfway back here—everything goes blank from there."

"Mako told me he had to carry you most of the way back because you were too exhausted to do it yourself," Bolin told him, expression suddenly going somber. "He didn't fill me in on the details of your mental breakdown, but he did tell me your friend Ming killed himself about a month ago, and I wanted to say that I'm sorry to hear about that. I know I'd be devastated if a good friend of mine chose to take the easy way out like that. You've got my sympathies for

that."

"Yeah...ah—thanks...I guess," Tahno answered awkwardly.

"So—what was the other thing you wanted to asked me about?" Bolin asked, desperate to break the ensuing awkward tension.

"Is Fireboy still hanging around somewhere on this island?" Tahno asked him. The earthbender arched an eyebrow.

"Fireboy, huh? That's an interesting nickname for my bro," Bolin commented. "So, um...is my bro still on the island? I think Mako's still around, although I couldn't tell you for sure that he is. I guess I could look around for him and see for sure, but it could take a little while."

"Whatever, just—go find him. I want to talk to him about something," Tahno said insistently.

"Do you mind if I leave Pabu here with you? I don't wanna have to drag him all around out in the bad weather while I'm looking for Mako, and he seems pretty content being here with you." Bolin picked up the cute, furry little creature, holding him up in an attempt to make him look irresistibly adorable. The ex-bender eyed the fire ferret peculiarly, heaving a frustrated sigh.

"Fine—leave him here, just...make it quick," Tahno said. Bolin said his thanks and gratefully set his furry companion down on the end of the former waterbender's bed before bolting out of the door.

Meanwhile, Tahno eyed the creature particularly, his icy blue gaze glued on the furry ferret. Expecting that the ferret, Pabu, would come right back up into his face again, he was somewhat surprised when the fire ferret instead curled up near his feet and fell into a contented slumber. Slowly, hesitantly, the ex-bender reached out towards the creature and began to lightly scratch behind one of the furry ferret's big ears.

XoXoX

After eating breakfast, Mako had gone in search of something to do. Getting to work was not an option; ferry services to the main hub of the city were out of the question due to the weather. Ishio had given him the okay to take the day off; with how bad the weather was, his superior was certain there wasn't going to be much activity in the city anyways.

_Find some time to hang out with your brother, _Ishio had informed him over their telecommunication earlier. _Hey—have there been any new developments involving that ex- waterbender we discussed yesterday? _

_Yeah—Tahno confirmed that the attack you told me about involved him. _Mako recalled informing him. The connection had been filled with static because of some effects of the weather, but he was certain that he'd heard a hefty sigh coming from the other end.

_I was certain that the poor boy in that case had to be him. _Ishio had sounded somber. _Hey Mako—could you do me a solid involving that ex-waterbender? _

_What? _

_Could you help him out for me? I couldn't do much for him back when I was working his case—and you might be able to help him out where I wasn't able. I know it's a lot to ask of you, but— _

Mako remembered interrupting him then. _Okay Ishio, I'll do what I can. But I can't make you _

_any promises. _

Mako had sought refuge on some random balcony overlooking Yue Bay—or whatever was visible of it in the impeding storm. Wind gusts blew torrents of rain every which way, soaking any unfortunate within seconds of exposure to the rampaging elements.

Much like the storm, the firebender's thoughts were tumultuously running through his mind. His auburn eyes stared out at the torrential downpour, but his mind had him focused on something else entirely different. His mind was hashing over the details Ishio had given him regarding the case involving Tahno's brutal attack, as well as the personal account that the ex-bender himself had given in regards to it.

_There was an anonymous tip left at the station that there had been a brutal beating in an alleyway in a part of the city near the probending arena. I was the responding officer, the one who took on the task of looking into the incident. _

_When I discovered the victim—that former waterbending probender, Tahno—he was a complete mess. Clothes disheveled, blood everywhere—he had bruises, cuts, and abrasions on various parts of his body. Wasn't sure if he was even conscious—or if he would even make it; that was how bad off he looked. Didn't know if he had any broken bones, but I wasn't going to chance leaving him there any longer and have him slip away from me while I was seeking help. I gingerly cradled his weight in my arms—not caring that his blood was seeping into my clothing—and brought him in for intensive care. _

_I felt a particular nagging to stick close by; something in me felt extra sympathetic towards that young man. I was there on my day off watching the championship event—can I tell you that the Fire Ferrets held their own during that match, Mako? I saw what that waterbender and his teammates went through; those boys' actions were not right, but I think Amon was a little too extreme with what he did to them— _

_The healers reported back to me the extent of that former probender's injuries—there were a few broken bones, ribs mostly—and a good percentage of his body was covered in bruises. He lost a lot of blood; whoever had taken it out on the poor boy left some pretty nasty gashes across his chest in the process— _

_One in particular pulled me off to the side to privately report some of her own findings—that she discovered signs of a brutal assault while she had been busy trying to repair the poor boy's broken body. Sexual assault—she explained in detail what she found—I'll spare you those details, Mako. I can just tell you it made me feel especially sympathetic towards that young man. Especially since my little brother went through something like that a long time ago—and he killed himself because of it— _

Mako's thoughts wandered from the account Ishio had given him to the aftermath of Tahno's breakdown on the beach the day before.

_The former waterbender's body trembled violently as he clung to the firebender in his grief, his head drawn to the firebender's shoulder as he cried. He'd used his firebending in an effort to keep them both warm—even as the impact of the waves continued to press against them. _

"_Where was Ming through all of this? Why were you alone at the time?" _

"_Ming was..."sob—"...spending time with his family, needing to be with them while he..."another sob—"...was dealing with the loss of his earthbending. I-I don't have any..."sobbing deeply— "...close family that I could've t-turned to while he was g-gone, so I-I was all alone." _

"_You mentioned something about your parents once. Did your parents pass away?" Mako asked. _

"_No—I'm just...not really that close with them anymore. Stopped talking to my dad a few years back after we had that disagreement over who I am—who I wanted to be. Lost touch with my mom a little while afterwards; she just—disappeared. They both did, actually." _

_The former waterbender continued to grieve into the firebender's shoulder, regardless of the fact that the waves were picking up, and that the wind had strengthened to gusty gales— _

"_I just wanted to die—I felt so humiliated by what that man did to me..." _

"_After I lost everything else, Ming was the only thing I had left to live for—" _

"_What do I have to live for now?" _

"_Damn it, Tahno—you've got a lot to live for, so don't you dare keep thinking that ending it all is your only option!" _

"_Fireboy?" the ex-bender's sobbing was starting to subside. _

"_Yeah?" _

"_You really believe that?" _

"_Yeah, Tahno—I do." After a pause—"I'd appreciate it if you stopped calling me Fireboy. The name's Mako." _

"_Whatever you say, Fireboy—I mean...Mako." _

"Hey, Fireboy—are you up here?" Mako was jolted from his thoughts when he heard shouting over the stormy gales. The voice was familiar, the nickname one the ex-bender had been using to address him since day one of his stay on the island—but the voice definitely wasn't Tahno's—

"Bo—why are you calling me that now?" Mako shouted back to his brother—whom he had yet to see.

"Blame it on Tahno—I picked it up from him," Bolin shouted back, finally coming into view wearing a rain soaked coat and a wind-beaten umbrella over his head. "Speaking of our former rival—he sent me out to look for you. Said he wants to talk to you about something."

"Did he give you any specifics?" Mako asked him. Bolin joined him under his current shelter, shaking the coat from his shoulders quickly.

"Just wanted me to find you fast," Bolin told him. "Hey—can I ask you what's going on with him? Tahno seems so...um—not so cocky as he used to be."

"He's gone though a lot of shit since Amon took his bending," Mako told him.

"Anything that's...you know—more specific than that, bro?" Bolin asked him.

"It's a bunch of personal stuff he confided in me with," Mako informed him. "Sorry, Bo—I promised I wouldn't divulge the details."

"I get it, bro—I understand," Bolin assured his brother. "Sometimes there are things not everyone needs to know about." He rested his arm around his brother's shoulders. "Whatever the dude's problems are, I hope you can help him work through them bro. I much prefer this more humbled—less cocky version of Tahno."

"Yeah, Bo—so do I." Mako noticed the storm was calming down slightly. "I should go and check in on him, see what he wants." He looked to the weather worn umbrella in his brother's other hand. "Okay if I borrow that?"

"The umbrella?" Bolin held it up. "Bro—it's yours for the taking. I'm staying in out of this storm until it's past. I don't want to end up sick like Tahno did."

"That's probably smart," Mako replied. His brother readily handed the umbrella over to him.

"Hey—can you keep an eye on Pabu while you're at it?" Bolin asked before he could take off. "I left him with Tahno, and I'm still not one hundred percent sure what the dude thinks of my fine furry friend."

"I'll make sure Pabu's just fine, Bo," Mako assured him. "I know how important that fire ferret is to you."

"Thanks bro!" Bolin waved as Mako made his way out into the storm.

XoXoX

The approach of his hand towards the furry little ferret had been slow and hesitant. Pabu seemed like a docile enough creature—nothing to be alarmed about—

The ruddy brownish fur behind the fire ferret's ears was soft and feathery to the touch, Tahno realized as his fingers grazed the spot. The furry ferret looked up at him at the sense of being touched, but not much else. His little soft brown eyes stayed focused on the ex-bender, as if he was silently telling him it was okay to scratch him behind the ear.

_I'd welcome it, _the fire ferret's gaze seemed to suggest. _That's what I wanted you to do all along. _

Setting aside his hesitance, Tahno scratched at the spot he'd aimed for from the beginning. The furry little ferret made a satisfied little squeak in response, followed by what almost sounded like purring. Pabu got up on all fours for a short instant, moving closer to the former waterbender before curling up in the ex-bender's lap. Pabu enjoyed being rubbed under the chin, Tahno acknowledged, when the little ferret lifted his head and looked at the ex-bender expectantly. It had taken a few seconds for him to realize the ferret's intentions, but Tahno eventually picked up on that fact and acted on it.

"Getting friendly with that Fire Ferrets earthbender's pet, I see." Tahno turned his head abruptly to see Ming sitting on the edge of the bed, watching him. "Looks like he worried for nothing." He smiled.

"I never said I had issues with animals—when they have my interest they can be cute," Tahno replied defensively. The former earthbender laughed in response.

"I recall you at one time being kind of fond of them actually," Ming commented. "You know— it's actually nice to see you being content over something. You've been down so much lately...you kind of need that fire ferret in your lap right now."

Tahno didn't reply to that; he only heaved a frustrated breath and rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you glad you got that incident off your chest by telling the Fire Ferrets firebender the details about it?" Ming asked him. Tahno scowled at him at first, but eventually let out a defeated sigh.

"Okay, okay—I have to admit that I _do _feel better." Tahno hunched his shoulders, eyes

meeting up with a pair of soft brown ferret eyes. "It's going to make being around Fireboy much more awkward from now on though."

"The guy was openly concerned about you, you know—so don't let the whole thing get to you," Ming told him. "Who better to talk to about that incident on this island—besides me anyways—then the guy who's saved your ass more than twice already? Especially since he said he was going to make sure that you didn't end up going down the same route I did."

"I told him about _the rape—_I've never told anyone besides you about that before," Tahno argued.

"And he didn't get critical with you about it, did he?" Ming reminded him, adding, " From my vantage point, he only expressed how wholly concerned he was about your wellbeing over the ordeal, man. If I'm recalling it correctly—he also hasn't criticized you about our relationship or your orientation. The guy's only criticized you about the cheating, and he's looked past that since you've shown that you're sincerely remorseful about that now. Plus—the guy stuck with you _in the heavy downpour _the whole time you were out in the storm, constantly sobbing yesterday until you practically passed out. He then carried you back up here _all by himself_. I don't think he's the type to go to all that trouble if he didn't care even a little."

"You think Fireb—I mean _Mako_—might actually _care _about me...if even just a little?" Tahno took his eyes off the contented fire ferret and stared at the spectral former earthbender.

"As I said—why would the guy go through all that trouble dealing with you if he didn't care about you to some extent?" Ming replied. Before Tahno could shoot back a smartass quip in the former earthbender's direction, the door creaked open. The former waterbender looked over quickly to see the firebender standing there in the doorway.

"Bo told me you needed to talk to me about something." Mako took Ming's quickly vacated spot on the edge of the bed. The firebender's auburn eyes rested on his brother's furry ferret friend. "I guess Bo didn't have to worry about Pabu after all."

"What'd he think I was going to do with his precious ferret—torture him?" Tahno questioned particularly. Mako smiled faintly.

"I'm sure he wouldn't have expected you to allow Pabu to curl up in your lap, or that you would be petting him so contently," Mako commented. "So—you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah—I've been thinking about...well—what you told me last night while we were...out there facing the elements. How you think I've got a lot to live for, and—I think...maybe—you're right," Tahno said, averting his eyes away from the firebender unexpectedly. The fire ferret in his lap looked up at him peacefully. "First though—I've just got to figure out what that _a lot _is." He managed to turn his gaze Mako's way, albeit the fact that he knew his face was slightly pinker than he would have wanted it to be—which he knew full well wasn't a result of the cold he was dealing with. "I wanted to ask if...you could help me with figuring that out? Since you seem to think I've got a lot to live for, I thought—you might have some ideas."

Mako looked like he hadn't been expecting that request. "Yeah...ahem—I guess I could...um— help you out with that," he responded a little sheepishly.

"So...any suggestions?" Tahno asked him. The firebender scratched at the back of his neck.

"You could take some self-defense lessons—so you could protect yourself against future attacks since you don't have waterbending to do that for you anymore," Mako suggested. "Asami Sato would be the perfect candidate to help you out with that. She knows more about protecting oneself without bending—more so than anyone else I know, seeing as she's a nonbender. I guess you could also talk to Tenzin about meditation—I've heard it's good for

dealing with inner turmoil, and if what you're saying about being able to communicate with spirits is true—he might be the one to go to for advice on that as well."

"Asami Sato—the daughter of that Equalist sympathizer Hiroshi Sato?" Tahno exclaimed, looking at him rather peculiarly.

"Yeah—but he's completely disowned her, and Hiroshi's now rotting away in prison somewhere," Mako told him reassuringly. "He threatened her life, and she held her own against him. She's completely trust-worthy. She hasn't quite gone through what you have— but she's gone through quite a bit of shit herself. What with how her father's tarnished reputation affected the business she's now left in charge of and the fact that she's lost both of her parents now—her father serving a life sentence in jail and her mother being killed during an attack with some firebenders."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least see what that Sato girl could teach me about self-defense," Tahno grinned somewhat. Mako gave him a stern look.

"If you do—don't try to take advantage of her. She won't put up with that kind of thing," Mako advised him. The ex-bender looked a little injured by the suggestion.

"I know I've got a bit of a reputation for flirting—but I have no intentions of doing that sort of thing with that Sato girl," Tahno informed him. "She's attractive, but—I'm not really interested in her."

"The way you were—that cocky, flirtatious prick I recall you being—was that somehow affected by the assault you were put through?" Mako asked him unexpectedly. The ex-bender looked away from him, keeping his icy blues on the fire ferret sleeping in his lap.

"That really took a lot out of me," Tahno openly admitted eventually. "Along with everything else I've dealt with in the past several months." He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He saw that it was Mako's, and that he was expressing a reassuring smile.

"It's unfortunate you had to be put through something like that," Mako told him. "But—not everything that came out of it was a bad thing. What I mean is—the experience has really humbled you, and—I've gotta admit—I like this version of you _much _better than the old one. I just wish that it didn't have to come to you going through something like that to bring you to being the person you are now."

"You actually...like me?" Tahno expressed some obvious surprise at that. The firebender nodded.

"You've been pretty open with me the last few of days—_and _we haven't fought with each other since the other day," Mako pointed out to him. "If we keep up with this pace—we could end up being friends, or—who knows?"

_Or who knows_—"I guess I could use some friends...considering my probender days are long behind me, and the adoring fans have moved on," Tahno replied, his face highlighted with some added pink again. He started coughing, causing the fire ferret in his lap to look up at him in alarm. When the fit subsided, he patted Pabu on the head to reassure the ferret it wasn't anything serious.

"Sounds like you caught a bug from the exposure last night," Mako noted, eying the soup pot on the little stool the earthbender had thoughtfully brought up earlier. "Did Bo bring that up?"

"Yeah, I think he did," Tahno replied. Mako couldn't help but smile; his younger brother, he knew, had a big heart—"I feel funny saying it, but—that was...nice of him."

"Yeah, that's just Bolin for you," Mako replied. "So...ah—did you want any more soup? Need anything else? Shoot."

"Only if the stuff hasn't gone cold," Tahno indicated the soup. The firebender examined the substance in the pot closely.

"Looks like it's cooled down," Mako observed. "But I can remedy that." He picked the pot up by the handle and held it aloft. He raised his other hand underneath the pot, willing a little flame up at the center of his palm. The flame intensified until it was burning nice and brightly, while seeming at the same time to have little or no effect against the surface of the firebender's hand. The ex-bender's eyes were held, transfixed, with the dancing flame. After a few moments of holding the pot over the conjured flame, the firebender set it back down on the stool and tested the warmth of its contents. "I'd say it should be warm enough now."

"Must be nice to be a bender," Tahno remarked, with envious traces in his voice—Mako noticed. He flinched slightly, remembering that he hadn't mentioned anything about Korra's ability to return bending back to Amon's victims who lost them to the former waterbender—or the reason why Korra had neglected to restore it for him. He attempted to hide his guilt over the fact—knowing he wasn't ready to expose the details to Tahno _just yet. _He felt that the ex- bender still needed to do some more mental healing before he could safely divulge that fact to him. It wasn't like the news would do the ex-bender much good anyway—what with Korra not even being there—"Feeling guilty about using your bending in front of me or something, fire—I mean...Mako? If you are—don't be."

"Ah—was I that obvious?" Mako feigned feeling guilt over using his bending by looking to the now steaming pot and grinning somewhat sheepishly. "So—um...want me to serve you up some soup? It should be...warm enough now."

"Yeah, considering that's what we'd agreed on in the beginning...Mako," Tahno replied with a fractured grin.

"Oh...right—let me get that ready," Mako hastily grabbed the bowl from where Bolin had set it previously and rushed back over to the pot. "So—I'll go and see if Asami has any time open so she can help you out, and put in a word with Tenzin that he should talk to you about your spirits seeing thing—see if he can help you out with that. Does that sound good to you?" He held the now refilled bowl out to the waiting ex-bender. Tahno eyed him silently for a moment before reaching out for the soup bowl.

"I guess I could stand talking to the old airbender—I mean, Tenzin—about my newfound ability to see spirits, and you talking to that Sato girl...I'd—appreciate it...if you did that for me...I guess." Tahno averted his gaze somewhat, embarrassed.

"I'll...get to work on all that once this storm passes then," Mako promised. He got to his feet and wandered towards the door. "Which I think I'm going to check into the stats on. It looked like it was starting to clear up before I got here."

"Um...Mako?" The firebender turned abruptly when he heard the ex-bender call out his name in an unusually meek voice. Tahno's one hand held the bowl the firebender had just handed him, the other rested on Bolin's ferret friend.

"Did...you want me to take Pabu with me or something?" Mako glanced at his brother's fire ferret. The ex-bender looked at him blankly for a moment.

"No—actually...I was just going to say..." Tahno paused a moment, seeming to struggle finding the right words to continue. "I can't stand having the fact that I owe you for saving my life more than twice hanging over my head, so—I _will _find a way to make it up to you for saving my ass. Mako—I guarantee that I will find a way to pay you back for all of that. I swear to that."

Mako was startled by the ex-bender's statement. "You don't have to, really—but if that's what will make you feel better about it...okay." The firebender smiled somewhat. "So—about Pabu then..."

"Just leave your brother's fire ferret here," Tahno said. "He's fine where he is."

"Okay," Mako replied simply. After a moment of looking down at his hands, "I'll...check in on you before I head off to bed." He took his eyes from his hands and leveled them in the former waterbender's direction. "Um...just so you know—if you ever need to look for Bo or me—we're just down the hall from you. I—will see if I can find Kya to help you out with dealing with your cold. So...hope you feel better, and—later."

"Okay."

He smiled awkwardly before turning towards the doorway, this time successfully making his departure.

XoXoX

It had been two weeks, and the apartment had been uncomfortably quiet.

Shaozu couldn't believe it—_two weeks_. A _whole two weeks, _plus some, had passed since he last saw his remaining teammate. The first couple days during Tahno's absence the former firebender had been hearing rumors that the ex-waterbender had jumped from the ledge of a bridge—in an effort to commit suicide. The ex-firebender couldn't take it much longer wondering whether the rumors were true or not; a couple days later he headed to the police station to see if he could get confirmation on the rumors either way.

It took him an hour and a half of standing and waiting in the lobby of the station before an officer bothered to see him. When Shaozu finally got the chance to make his inquiry to the officer who tended to his request, the officer told him his friend was gone—all the arrangements had been taken care of, and his friend's body was no longer in their care. When Shaozu asked where his friend's body had been transferred—where they'd taken him—the officer didn't have an answer.

"_I wasn't there when the details of your friend's suicide case were handled. All I know is that the case's closed, and your friend's body's no longer in our custody." _The preoccupied officer informed him. _"Was there anything else you wanted to inquire about?" _

The day Shaozu showed up at the station, the place was alive with activity. Apparently there had been a huge Triad bust made that day—several members of one of the more recently notorious factions had been arrested and indicted on charges set against them for disturbing the peace, amongst other—more serious charges.

"_No—I think that's all I needed_."

Shaozu had walked out of the station feeling devastated. When he'd gotten back to the apartment, he couldn't help tearing up over the loss of another one of his friends; hell—it had been only a month before that Ming had left them by hanging himself at the end of a noose. The ex-firebender knew that Ming's actions had completely demoralized his former waterbending teammate and friend—left Tahno practically a husk of his former self. Shaozu knew that his friend was completely torn up by Ming's death—but the former firebender hadn't believed he was bad enough off to take the same route out.

His girlfriend, Mei Lin, had been waiting for him when he returned. She had been the shoulder he'd cried on when he told her the news, and was the one who was there for him—there to help him recover from the loss.

Mei Lin had been his saving grace after he lost his bending at Amon's hands—been the one to convince him that he'd live even with the loss. She was the one who helped him realize he could be happy without his bending—even feel like he was better off without it. And that day— she'd been the one to help him recover from the loss of yet another one of his friends.

In the time that passed afterwards, Shaozu felt unsettled in the apartment, the silence getting to him. He sometimes felt like Ming was still lingering around, watching over him in a state of spiritual intangibility. That sense kept him from touching Ming's things—or, for that matter— Tahno's. He knew he should've had their stuff packed up and put away—but because of that sense—he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Mei Lin would be taking the last vacant room in the apartment later that afternoon; the room had been reserved as a study—or a place to store the three's mementos of their past championship winnings. But—seeing as that was a part of the past that was painful to reflect on—Shaozu offered the room to his girlfriend when she offered to move in and help supplement the rent costs so he wouldn't end up facing eviction.

Mei Lin was a girl from the far reaches of the Earth Kingdom, a more recent transplant to the sprawling metropolis who came there with her father when he found success with his business in Republic City. Neither her father nor Mei Lin were benders, although her mother _was. _She, her brother and her parents had been caught in a raid made by a group of ragtag benders on their travels towards the city, and Mei Lin had told him her mother was lost while they struggled to get out of it.

"_I don't hate all benders because of it_," Mei Lin had said when she first told him about the raid and her mother's death. "_But I can't help but feel disappointed by the ones who would choose to abuse the gifts they were given." _

"_Yeah...I gotta admit—I didn't exactly use my bending the best way I could've when I had it," _Shaozu remembered admitting to her after she'd spoken. _"Maybe Amon was right to take it from me—maybe I'm better off without it_." She'd looked at Shaozu with wide, slightly guilty eyes.

"_I didn't mean for you to have to say something like that!" _Mei Lin responded hastily, waving her hands frantically in the air. _" I loved watching you up there in the arena! I wasn't too fond of the cheating—but you guys—you were __**so amazing **__up there! Watching your maneuvers...it was all so mesmerizing!" _

"_No, no—what you said made me realize that I deserved what I got dished up there." _Shaozu recalled insisting. _"You're not a bender, so—it puts the two of us on more equal grounds with me being without my firebending. Plus—I got the feeling before the Amon incident that your father didn't like me too much." _

"_Dad just wasn't a fan of me taking an interest in a sports player. Wanted me to find someone with a more solid career—like a businessman or something like that. It wasn't you personally—and it had nothing to do with the fact that you were a firebender." _He remembered the smile that brightened her face then. _"He's happier with you now that you've changed career courses. He admires that you've got a sharp mind, and I've assured him you're also good with your hands." _

"_As soon as you get yourself moved into my place, I'll show you just how good I am with my hands," _Shaozu recalled cracking a grin that spread across his entire face.

"_I'll look forward to that_." Mei Lin giggled in response.

Ming and Tahno had left a hole in his heart with their departures, but he hoped that Mei Lin might—in some way—help to at least partially fill the void. More than any other girl, she left him feeling giddy and excited whenever she was around, and he felt more connected with her

then with any other girl he'd met. As he moved the last of the mementos of his probending days out of the empty room waiting to be re-occupied by the presence of someone else, Shaozu looked back into the room, and sighed.

"Wherever you guys are—I hope you're both happier there—Ming, Tahno." He closed his eyes for a short instant, hefting the box once in his arms to get a better grasp on it when he reopened them, and then left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Meditation wasn't nearly as fun as Tenzin made it sound. The old airbender had gotten into a routine of doing it for so long—it practically became second nature to him. But for the former waterbender—it wasn't. Especially not when a certain spectral _boyfriend_ kept teasing him—his disembodied voice speaking softly in his ear every once in a while when the former waterbender least expected it.

"Focus on your breathing—breath in, breath out—"

Tahno tried that; taking in one breath, then letting one out—repeat. His eyes were closed in the process, like the airbender instructed. Thoughts focused inward, specifically on each breath—

"_If you were to accelerate your breathing—it would be reminiscent of one of those times where you and I were hot and sticky—making sweet, passionate love—"_

_Just breathe in and out–concentrate on your breaths like the old airbender suggested, _Tahno forced his friend's disembodied teases to the back of his consciousness, while trying to focus on Tenzin's spoken words.

"Let your inhaled breath bring in a sense of renewal, and discard all your troubles with your exhaled breath—"

"_Your hair soaked and your body sweaty, pressing close to mine as you—"_

"_MING_!" Tahno shouted, frustrated—opening his eyes rapidly as his concentration was broken. He realized he'd gained four pairs of eyes staring at him—three of which stared at him blankly while the fourth did so with a burst of fury emanating in their depths. The former waterbender quickly felt awkward, blushing fiercely in the error of his outburst. The two girls started giggling while their father continued his stern stare. Their brother, opposite to how his siblings and their father reacted, just blankly stared at the ex-bender.

"Shouting names of departed friends is not a part of the routine!" Tenzin reprimanded the former waterbender. "That's the third time you've had an outburst during just this session. How can you expect everyone—including yourself—to be able to find inner peace if you keep disturbing it _every five seconds?"_

"I'm sorry I can't seem to keep the peace for you, _old man_—but I can't be expected to find _my_ inner peace every time my dead best friend's voice whispers something distracting in my ear, can I?" Tahno remarked irritably as he got to his feet. He stalked away from the meditation room, too agitated to deal with the old airbender's criticisms or his deceased boyfriend's silly teasing. He found himself sitting on an outcropping on a cliff ledge overlooking the sandy shores below. He rested his head in his hands and stared out towards the bay.

"I've been trying to get a successful session in all week with the old airbender, but I haven't been having any luck doing that—thanks to you," Tahno remarked randomly to seemingly nobody in particular. He heard disembodied laughter resonating in his ears, making him more irritable.

"_Can I help it that every time you have your eyes closed during those sessions—your lips partially open as you breathe—it reminds me of those steamy moments we used to share?"_ the former waterbender looked off to his side to see the spectral form of the ex-earthbender materializing right beside him. Ming had a mischievous grin on his still semi-translucent face.

"You don't have to remind me of it _like that_ while I'm in front of those kids—trying to get in a session with the old airbender," Tahno grated. "It's embarrassing. Actually—it's more than embarrassing—it's _humiliating_._"_

"I just miss those moments," Ming informed him, his spectral hand tracing the ex-bender's chin gently. Tahno's skin tingled as he physically sensed the motion, gathering pleasure from it at the same time as he was also feeling embarrassed by it. "I don't have a physical body anymore, so all I have are my memories."

"You chose to do that to yourself—I sure as hell didn't," Tahno shot back at him, waving Ming's spectral hand away from his face. "I miss it—all of it—too, but it's all in the past, Ming—and I sure as hell don't need to be reminded of it when I'm surrounded by kids and the old airbender. I don't think they'd get it if they found out about…us."

"Okay—I'll stop pestering you in front of those munchkins," Ming laughed as he faded out. The ex-bender rolled his eyes and sighed before turning his eyes out towards Yue Bay again. His gaze was only there for a moment as a short time later he heard the approach of footsteps coming up behind. Thinking it was the ex-earthbender coming back to tease him some more, he turned to face this so-called _intruder _in order to confront him and tell him off once and for all. The snarky words barely had a chance to form on his lips as his eyes landed on the form of the old airbender himself coming to sit there right beside him.

"Maybe it wasn't the right approach to start out your sessions in the presence of my three children," Tenzin spoke as he got himself situated. "I lost track of the fact that you're sensitive to the presence of spirits—particularly the one of your deceased friend, Ming. It must be hard for you—trying to concentrate while you hear your friend whispering in your ear."

"You have no idea," Tahno sighed. "Look—I'm sorry for the outburst back there. It's just…Ming's voice in my ear…it was really starting to frustrate me."

"Do you wish to continue with our sessions, or would you prefer not to?" Tenzin asked him.

"Of course I'd like to stick with it," Tahno answered quickly. "What you've mentioned about the benefits of meditation…I could really use those. It's just…I might need to continue the sessions without the kids around, just—you and me—in one on one sessions. I might get more accomplished that way."

"If you believe that you're still up to continuing with our sessions, I will set up a time where we can focus on it one on one," Tenzin informed him. "Maybe for the meantime you can focus on your other training with Miss Sato. She should be arriving on the island shortly."

"I think she's already here." Tahno indicated a professionally dressed, beautifully feminine figure making her way up the pier and towards the path leading up to the main part of the island. Tenzin's eyes met up with the figure that was pointed out to him, nodding.

"Before you go off to meet with Miss Sato, I have one thing to ask you," Tenzin said while getting to his feet.

"What do ya need to ask?" Tahno also worked his way up to his feet. He wondered what the old airbender could want to ask him? A knot started forming in his throat at the possibility of it being about him and Ming, or more specifically—the type of relationship they had—

"Has Ming been the only spirit you have been able to communicate with thus far, or have there been others?" Tenzin asked him. The former waterbender let out a relieved sigh before answering the question.

"So far—it's only been Ming," Tahno told him.

"I want you to inform me of any other spirits you might encounter outside of your dead _boy_friend as you come across them," Tenzin informed him. The ex-bender stared at him before finding his voice again.

"Since when did I ever say Ming was my _boyfriend?"_ Tahno exclaimed, getting worked up. "Wait—did Mako blab about it to you? He swore that he wouldn't tell _anyone else_—so if he broke our promise—"

"Rest assured—Mako kept his promise. Let's just call it a hunch," Tenzin assured him. "I heard you having a one-sided conversation with him before I arrived." The ex-bender rouged in embarrassment. "I know that kind of relationship is not often accepted, that some people can be downright judgmental about it, but growing up under my father Aang's philosophies…I've learned not to be so judgmental. It is an airbender philosophy not to judge, but rather seek peace and harmony with the world, the people and other creatures living in it. However, I would prefer not bringing it up in front of my children—are we clear on that?"

"I'd actually prefer it that way," Tahno agreed. "I can't stand the fact that_ you_ found out—I sure as hell don't need your kids finding out about it too."

"I'm glad we've reached an agreement about that," Tenzin stated. "Go catch up with Miss Sato. She's got a lot on her plate running the business Hiroshi left her to handle, so I'm certain she doesn't have a lot of time available to be messing around waiting for you to show up."

"I was set on doing just that," Tahno told him. The old airbender faintly smiled.

"Get to it then—as I'm sure Miss Sato doesn't have all day," Tenzin told him before walking off. Tahno watched him leave before heading in the opposite direction to meet up with Asami.

XoXoX

Mako was back to his normal schedule at his job, making less frequent visits with the ex-bender over the past week. To him it seemed that Tahno was keeping his word about trying to make an effort to turn his life around, and for that—the firebender was grateful.

During a lull period while on duty, Mako thought back to a week ago; after the storm had cleared up, he hadn't wasted his time in speaking with Tenzin about getting the ex-bender set up with him for advice on Tahno's _spirit-seeing_ thing as well as meditation. He then went to seek out Asami for her help—which hadn't been quite as easy.

Asami was kept busy with Future Industries, and besides that—she still held some hesitance towards the firebender for mistakes made during their past relationship. She wouldn't outwardly show it, being the caring person that she was, but deep down Mako knew Asami still felt hurt by his blunders in their short stint at romance. For the most part though, what had made it hardest to get in touch with her was her pretty hectic schedule with her new responsibility at the company her father's reputation as a traitor had left in shambles. Somehow, he managed to catch up with her while he was in the neighborhood where the Sato estate happened to be located. He'd been doing a routine patrol of the area; reports going around suggested one of the bending triads were causing a ruckus in the district. He saw a good opportunity when he happened to stop outside the front gate of her expansive property.

"_Mako." Asami had been startled when he showed up at the front gate just as she was heading out. "I was just on my way out. Was there something you needed?"_

"_Actually, Asami—there is." Mako shifted awkwardly as he stood there. "I-I need to ask if you'll do a favor for me."_

"_I don't have a lot of time, but—" Asami turned her eyes towards the interior of her home. "—I guess I can make some to hear you out. After all—Korra was the one to help me get Future industries back on its feet, so I guess I owe you a little for that."_

"_I'd really appreciate it if you'd do this one thing for me, Asami," Mako replied gratefully. She smiled genuinely as she showed the firebender inside._

"_So...what did you need to ask me, Mako?" Asami attempted to break the tense silence while the two stood there in the entry foyer. Mako fiddled with his hands in front of him, slowly bringing his auburn eyes to meet up with the beautiful woman's emerald jewel irises._

"_Do you remember Tahno from the Wolfbats?" Mako asked her._

"_Your rival team during the probending finals?" Asami replied. He nodded. "Was he the waterbender?" Another nod. "I think I remember who you're talking about. I was there when all three of them lost their bending during Amon's attack on the arena. What about him?"_

"_I needed to ask if you'd have time to give him some self-defense lessons," Mako asked her. "I can't go around looking for self-defense teachers for him because I don't exactly have the funds to pay for it, and I promised I'd talk to you about helping him out with that."_

"_I thought the Fire Ferrets and the Wolfbats were bitter rivals with one another, so why are you going to the trouble making promises like that to him?" Asami gave him an odd look._

"_Since he and his teammates' fall at Amon's hands, Tahno's been going through some rough times. Plus—a few weeks back I intervened in a suicide attempt he was making after the death of one of his teammates, and I want to help him turn his life around so I don't have to prevent him from making another attempt." Mako looked up at her somewhat pleadingly. "Do you think you can help him out for me? Since his bending was stripped, he's been having problems being a target for some of his other former rivals. Please Asami—could you help him out with that?"_

_Asami's expression was sympathetic. "I'll teach him how to defend himself." She rested her manicured hands, one on top of the other, in front of her. "I'd feel awful if I didn't. I know what it's like to be him—not being able to bend to defend himself. But—I'm doing this as a favor for Korra's sake, since I'll forever be grateful for what she did to help get Future Industries out of hot water."_

"_I can accept that," Mako told her. "And thanks so much for doing this. I appreciate it, Asami."_

"_Let me check my schedule for openings, and I'll get back to you with what I've got available," Asami told him. "I've got something new in development that I really need to oversee, so I've got to get going. Rest assured Mako—I will find time to help out your _friend,_ don't worry."_

Asami had rushed out shortly afterwards, leaving him standing alone on the stairs leading up to the entryway of her mansion. A day later, Asami had kept her word, coming to Air Temple Island to meet the ex-bender personally. Mako recalled that the two had hit it off rather quickly, with Tahno making a quick jest about how he couldn't wait to get their _private lessons_ started, and how Asami had laughed that off with a warning about not taking the lessons as being more than just about self-defense.

_Maybe she can help him out with more than just defending himself,_ Mako thought to himself. He recalled how fractured the ex-bender had been emotionally when he had his breakdown in Mako's presence that day during the storm. After all that he had been through with the former waterbender, the firebender wanted his former rival to find some happiness—if only to keep him from sinking back into that dark place he'd been in a few weeks before.

Mako knew it was more than that, but he was content in believing that that was all it was.

He was taken away from his inner reveling when his attention was drawn towards a break-in across the way; there were a trio of benders creating an incident with a shopkeeper and his staff. Mako knew he could dwell on his thoughts later; now—some innocent citizens needed his help.

XoXoX

The day was sunny and bright, the water of Yue Bay sparkling as beams of sunlight danced across the water's ripples. Asami wandered up the meandering trail leading away from the sparkling shore towards the main hub of what was known far and wide as Air Temple Island.

She had a mission on the island that day; it was day four of her lessons involving her newest and only pupil, the once cocky and flirtatious former waterbender she knew by the name of Tahno. She remembered him for his flirtatious ways with his fans, but had been rather caught by surprise the first day she stepped foot on the island and discovered a more humbled, less stylish young man waiting around for her arrival.

Rather surprised indeed.

The first few sessions had been mostly stretching exercises; it took a little while to get the ex-bender back in shape after being mostly inactive prior to her arrival. Plus—the first day she arrived the ex-bender had still been dealing with the residuals of a cold.

She hoped that day four would be the beginning of real progression. She yearned for a real session of one on one combat. He waited for her at the island's training arena, apparently ready to get things started. He expressed a crooked grin when he looked up and acknowledged her approaching.

"Well, well—hello there, beautiful woman, ready to duke it out with me?" Tahno greeted her. The grin became more pronounced, mischievous. She in return smiled a bit mischievously.

"I'm ready to get things started for real with you, pretty boy," Asami lightly joked with him in return. She set down her satchel she'd had thrown over her shoulder off to the side of the training platform, placing her coat on top of it in a way to prevent it from wrinkling. "And when I say for real—I mean that we're going to be sweaty and very thirsty by the time this session is done. I believe you should have worked your kinks out from being inactive for a period by now—am I correct?"

"Those kinks and knots are long gone, and I'm more than ready to get this started," Tahno informed her. She smiled at that, and then prepped herself on the platform for the proper stance.

"I know you're used to resorting to your waterbending stances when you fight, which I believe can help you out in your favor, but—you can't rely on those stances alone to protect yourself—to put up a real fight," Asami demonstrated for him by getting into a particular position. "And it's not all about your own movements. It's also about observing the movements of your opponents and knowing when to strike." She moved quickly, taking him off guard when she swiftly reached for his wrists and twisted his arms behind his back, where she restrained them as she held him pinned in place. She rested her chin on his shoulder, grinning at him impishly. "You have to always be on the alert, or you'll end up restrained and at the mercy of your opponent."

She noticed he was extremely uneasy. She recalled how he was the type who didn't like to be at the mercy of others—the kind who liked to be in control of the situation around them. He obviously had been the team captain for the White Falls Wolfbats for a reason—he had a more dominant personality. She suspected his uneasiness was a result of that.

"Always be aware of your opponent's every possible move." Asami twisted his position, reversing his stance so he was facing her and his hands were still restrained behind his back with one of her own. She used his confusion to her advantage as she raised her face up within a few mere centimeters of his, her confident emerald jewel gaze caught up with his own icy blue stare.

"You don't want to ever be caught off guard. It could end badly if you let that happen," she breathed. Not giving the ex-bender a chance to retaliate, she closed the distance, raising her chin so her mouth was greeting his at just the right angle. She could sense him stiffening as she deepened the kiss a bit. She pulled away before it had a chance to get more serious. With his past, his flirtatious reputation—she didn't know when he would seize the opportunity to take it even further—

But when she pulled away to stand face to face with him, she realized how troubled he looked.

"Hey—I was only demonstrating a point, so you don't have to look so perturbed by the maneuver." Asami let go of his wrists, and the ex-bender took a few steps back away from her in an instant. The look he directed her way a moment later seemed unexpectedly injured. "I would've thought, with how I remember you—with your reputation as being cocky and flirtatious with your fangirls—that a move like that wouldn't bother you all that much."

"Well, babe—I've changed from the way I used to be," Tahno pointed out to her, not looking her in the eye. "Let's just say…I ended up developing a mental condition where I prefer not being caught up in awkward, close physical contact when I'm not expecting it."

"Can I ask why?" Asami inquired. The ex-bender turned his gaze back towards her.

"I prefer not to talk about it," Tahno replied. "I'd like to get back to our session—if that's okay with you."

"Okay, if that's what you prefer," Asami told him. "But I have to tell you—your reputation precedes you." She winked. "You're a pretty decent kisser when you're caught off guard." She noticed him flush a little at the comment. In an effort to break up the mood, Asami retained her former fighting stance. "Okay, I won't resort to any more moves like that last one. But let me tell you this now—I'm not going to take it easy on you while we're training. I _want _you to learn the moves—and being easy on you won't help you at all."

"I wouldn't expect it to be any other way," Tahno replied, loosening up somewhat.

She ran through some basic techniques with him, correcting his stance—in a non-confrontational way—when he was off a bit. While the two switched to some light sparring with one another for practice, they talked.

"I didn't bother to ask this during any of our first three sessions, but when Mako asked me to teach you some self-defense techniques, he mentioned that you'd been having problems being a target for some of your former rivals," She thrust her fist at him, a maneuver the ex-bender managed to evade. "Does that have anything to do with how uncomfortable you are with unexpected, close personal physical contact—or does it have something more to do with how Amon rough-handled you in the arena before he took your bending?" He threw a jab at her, intending to make a striking blow; she easily parried it.

"It's probably a little bit of both," Tahno replied breathlessly. "I still have nightmares about that day. But then—a lot of my nights are filled with many different kinds of nightmares. I've just learned to deal."

"I heard that you also had to deal with the suicide of one of your teammates," Asami said. "If it's not too much to ask—which one of them was it?"

"It was Ming—our earthbender and a close friend of mine," Tahno told her, just barely avoiding a strike thrust at him. She recovered quickly.

"That must've been hard for you," Asami said sincerely. "How'd you find out?"

"The three of us—after Amon's attack…in order to make ends meet, we rented an apartment together," Tahno replied, centering himself. "When I got in from work after a long grueling night on the job, I discovered his body hanging in his bedroom."

"I'm sorry. That must've been a hard thing to have to witness." Asami balanced herself back and forth on her two feet, waiting for his next move. She noticed he looked distracted by his thoughts. Seeing that he probably wouldn't be throwing a shot at her immediately, she turned towards more actively making conversation to fill the gap. "His death and witnessing something that gruesome—is that a part of the many nightmares you struggle with almost every night?"

"I have nightmares about that, about almost drowning in the pool below the arena after Amon had one his henchmen launch me off the platform into it, dark times taking some nasty hits from former rivals while trapped in a secluded alley where nobody could hear me screaming for help—I've got a laundry list of things that I have nightmares about that I'd prefer not listing off." In an attempt to counter his conflicted thoughts, Tahno made another attempted strike at her. Showing she was the more experienced combatant—plus the fact that he was obviously somewhat distracted—she easily evaded the move and managed to land one of her own on him in the process. The blow knocked the breath out of him; he stumbled back a few paces, panting and wheezing as he struggled to recover.

"_Looks like the beautiful Miss Sato has taken your breath away," _Ming's disembodied voice rang in Tahno's ears as he struggled to calm his labored breathing. The ex-earthbender continued his musing with, "_Literally_."

"I—think I need to sit down," Tahno gasped. Asami helped him get off his feet, and took a seat beside him.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "I threw that punch a little harder than I intended."

"Don't worry about it—I got distracted." Slowly Tahno began to recover.

"So, you and the other Wolfbats—were you guys pretty tight?" Asami asked, trying to make light conversation in the meantime.

"Shaozu and I are close enough so that we were in sync as teammates," Tahno began. "Ming and me, we were closer to each other." He could hear that said ex-earthbender's disembodied laughter in his ear as he spoke. He involuntarily made a face in response. "—more so than you could possibly imagine."

"Um…can I ask you what you mean by that?" Asami inquired curiously.

"_Are you going to tell her about…us?" _Ming whispered teasingly into the former waterbender's ear. "_How close we __**really were**__ when I was still alive?"_

"No, Ming—I wasn't going to bother mentioning that," Tahno shot back at the spectral ex-earthbender. Asami meanwhile sat there looking confused. "You see—what I meant by that remark is that I can still talk to Ming—even though he's dead. Some near-death experiences I've had, along with the loss of my bending, have allowed me to communicate with spirits."

"Speak with the dead—can you speak to any spirit, or just your friend Ming?" Asami asked him.

"So far—just Ming," Tahno told her, shrugging. "I'm not sure what the extent of it is—If it means I can talk to every spirit I cross paths with—or if it's just gonna be Ming."

"If you ever find out that the ability goes beyond your dead best friend—could you try to find a way for me to communicate with my mother sometime?" Asami asked him. "I was young when she was murdered, and there are so many questions I would ask her if I had the chance. After all the despicable things my father's done—I could really use her advice on so many things."

"I don't know if it works that way, but—I'll see what I can do if this becomes something bigger than just a connection between Ming and me," Tahno told her. "You're doing me a solid by helping me learn how to fend for myself without bending—I guess I could repay you by doing that for you if I'm able to."

"I'd really appreciate it," Asami smiled warmly. He watched her curiously as she got to her feet. "You know—when Mako came around pleading with me to help you out here—I had another reason why I agreed to do it other than as a favor for Korra."

"I hadn't heard that this was all done as some favor for the Avatar," Tahno also got to his feet. "Your other reason for agreeing to this—did it have something to do with you wanting to kiss me really badly or something? If that's what you'd wanted all along—I could've made some special arrangements to make these _private lessons _more…_memorable."_

"No, actually—that was a spur of the moment decision really," Asami admitted, grinning sheepishly. "What I meant was…I did this because I needed to get a break from overseeing operations at Future Industries after my father's incarceration. I needed something to take all that stress off my mind, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity." She smiled slightly. "I meant for it to be more of a distraction for me at first, but I think I'm enjoying myself helping you out here."

"Glad I could provide you some relief from your stressful lifestyle," Tahno told her. "Gotta say—the feeling's mutual."

"As much as I enjoyed this _distraction_—I've got to get back to work," Asami informed him regrettably. "I'll try to get back for another session with you here tomorrow, but if I can't make room on my schedule, I'll let you or someone on the island know beforehand." She reached for her jacket and slipped it on. "Care to come with me to the pier to see me off?"

"I'd love to, babe, but—that pier and me don't exactly have a good history with one another," Tahno told her. She raised an eyebrow.

"The ocean?" Asami asked. He shook his head.

"Nah—I took a nasty spill off the end of it in the first few days I was here," Tahno told her, smiling wryly. "You can still see where I hit my head on the end of it."

"Ouch," Asami winced. "It's been fun, and I'll see you later then."

"Yeah—later." As Tahno watched her walking away, he felt the presence of an invisible hand on his right shoulder.

"For your information—It's not just me, you know." Ming's voice came out of nowhere, making the ex-bender jump in shock. Tahno quickly glanced around, his eyes darting quickly all about him for the ex-earthbender's presence. But Ming was nowhere in sight.

"What do you mean by that Ming?" Tahno demanded.

"I'm not the only spirit you're able to communicate with," Ming's voice originated from a different place than before. "There will be others. I'm just the beginning, your stepping stone—so to speak."

"If I'm able to communicate with other spirits, then why haven't they shown themselves to me?" Tahno shouted, still searching around for the source of Ming's voice. He heard hearty laughter—laughter that echoed even though there were no walls nearby for it to resonate off of.

"You weren't ready to deal with them," Ming's voice echoed from all over at once. "But you're ready now, man—and before long…I'm sure you'll be hearing from them."

XoXoX

Nighttime settled in quickly for the residents of Air Temple Island. Mako and Tahno chatted a little over dinner before heading off to bed. Shortly after the firebender went to his room, the ex-bender dressed in some simple nightwear that had been provided for him by Pema, pulled aside the sheets on his bed, turned out the lights and settled in for the night.

His mind drifted as he let slumber take him. He started out in the realm of nothingness before transitioning towards a state of dreaming. And what a contrast difference it was—bland blank space converted to vivid imagery, playing like a roll of film set in motion inside his very own mind.

_Familiar streets sprawled out in a familiar city setting, lined with shops and apartment complexes every which way._

_The scenery changed like a photo slideshow, transitioning rapidly from one view of a city street to another, to streets lining official city buildings and the vast bay that was the city's crowning jewel under the light of the sun or the moon. It settled on a non-descript, plain looking district, on a scene in particular that was just beginning to play out._

_There, in the doorway leading inwardly toward a residence—as it appeared to be—stood a boy of no more than eight years of age. He waited there, in the doorway for something—but what? He waited, and he did so patiently. Eventually it was revealed what that young boy was waiting for—a couple whom he closely resembled in more ways than one. The boy's parents? It was more than just a mere possibility—_

_The woman of the couple playfully tousled the boy's short dark hair, much to his dismay. His father gave a hearty laugh at the young lad's discomfort, adjusting the vivid rouge fabric wrapped around the youth's neck._

"_Can't go anywhere without your scarf now, eh?" The elder man asked the boy. The boy fingered the red cloth like it was very precious; in his mind, it probably was._

"_No, I can't," the youth responded. "It's the present you gave me for my eighth birthday."_

"_And tonight we're going to go celebrate that!" the boy's father replied jovially. "Our boy—you're growing up so fast! Before long—you and your brother will be strapping young men. Oh, to see that day! It seems as though it's approaching quickly!"_

"_Approaching too quickly," the boy's mother interjected. "I wish I could keep my boys young for a while longer."_

"_Your mother's sentimental," his father told him. "Doesn't want to see you grow up too fast. Wants to keep you boys young so she won't feel lonely when you've moved out to start your own lives."_

"_Let me grab my bag and your brother so we can be on our way," the boy's mother spoke up. "I'd much prefer beating the crowds to the restaurant before they get too packed with other diners."_

"_You go do that. I'll wait here with our birthday boy," the father stated. The woman moved to enter the interior of the household, but a loud banging and a crash halted her in her footsteps._

"_What was that?" the woman's voice quavered. Her husband shrugged his shoulders._

"_Don't know, but I'll go investigate," the man's voice lost all the enthusiasm from before, settling on dead seriousness. The boy noticed it all too well._

_The boy's father wasn't out of the room more than a few moments before sounds of a skirmish were evident in the entryway. Shouting, arguing—a struggle…the woman, curious and worried, rushed to the scene to aide her husband in whatever struggle he was dealing with. The young boy followed at a cautious distance, peering around the frame of the doorway separating the foyer from the rest of the apartment._

_The young boy witnessed as his parents fought off the force of an intruder. A mugger, desperate to make a quick, easy buck, wrestled with the boy's father over the man's wallet. A large, semi-valuable vase lay in shatters on the floor, the table it once rested atop now resting on its side. In the man's possession he already had the woman's purse—which she must have left on that table at some point._

_His wife attempted to intervene, but the effort was futile and dangerous. In startled shock, the intruder shot a bolt of intense flames in the woman's direction, singing her severely as she faltered back. In his sense of animalistic desperation, the firebending mugger also struck the man with a similar attack—severely burning the defenseless man where he stood._

_The young boy watched in horror as his father crumpled to the floor in a lifeless heap; the man who—just moments before—had been lightheartedly teasing him about his clinginess to the red fabric wrapped around his neck, now nothing more than a still form lying on the floor, flesh badly burned._

_He couldn't work up the effort to move—frozen in place as the scene of his parents murder played out before him. He didn't react when they took their last breaths, nor did he react when the man who'd stripped their innocent lives away from them for petty change in a well-worn wallet realized his error and bolted for it. It wasn't until long after it was said and done did the boy react—breaking down and sobbing._

"_MOM!" He screamed out to them in anguish. "DAD!"_

The ex-bender was extracted from that ghastly reality rather quickly and brought back into the cold starkness of his room stocked heavily still with shadows. His eyes caught movement in the corner of the room; a figure, one of a man that appeared horribly burned—which was oh so evident even in the dark. The charring to his flesh—it looked fresh, and rather frightening to see—

The figure of the man moved with unnatural speed from his spot across the room to the ex-bender's bedside, the ghastly details of the damage to his flesh ever so apparent. The skin peeled away to reveal muscle that lay underneath, his eyes appearing as though they were eternally roasting in their sockets. The charred remains of the man's hand rose up, the appendages just barely covered with flesh extending outward—with one bony finger in particular pointing in his direction. The remnants of a mouth on the figure moved as if to speak, nothing but rasping sounds spewing forth at first.

"_I needed you to witness that scene in order for you to understand my sons' circumstances better_," the man's voice rang hollow and raspy. "_I needed you to understand what my boys had to be put through to understand how much they had to struggle_." The man's hand frigidly dropped to his side. "_Especially Mako_."

"_He was the only living witness to our murders—"_

Tahno screamed loudly as he opened his eyes and instinctively bolted upright in bed. His ice blue eyes searched frantically around the room for that ghastly figment of the severely burned man, but he spotted nothing amiss. The man wasn't anywhere to be seen, and the room was still.

Almost deafeningly so—

The memory—the details of that ghastly figure had him trembling badly. Had that _monster _been there at all, or had he only been a product of his dream? He shuddered to think of the possibility of that disturbing sight being real—especially the detail of the man's eyes, burning still in their sockets—

He heard the rush of footsteps coming from down the hall, and then the scraping noise of his bedroom door being forced open hastily. Tahno hesitantly looked over to the doorway, recognizing the figure of the firebender now standing there.

"I heard you scream and thought I'd investigate." Mako moved away from the doorway and occupied the chair that was still in the room from before. The ex-bender watched the whole process with wide eyes. "Hey—you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Behind the firebender, the ex-bender caught a glimpse of a figment of a man standing in the corner of the room.

"_Mako lost a lot that day,_" the specter said with an echoic quality to his voice. "_Always remember that."_

Seeing the figment, the specter of a man, standing there—it brought back instant flashes of the dream he'd been having before he abruptly awoke. Tahno began to visibly tremble before he broke down sobbing unexpectedly. His mind struggled to comprehend the terrible visage of that man and his message. How it all involved the firebender who was right there, watching him with deep concern while he continued to shake and sob into his hands—

He felt two hands rest comfortingly on his shoulders as he struggled to contain his sobbing. When he looked up, he saw the concern in the depths of Mako's eyes as he leaned over him.

"Tahno—what's wrong?" Mako asked him

"I got a nightmarish visitation from your father," Tahno eventually managed to reply. As the ex-bender settled down some, the firebender retook his seat on the chair. "He was pretty charred up when he came to visit me, and he gave me a pretty detailed glimpse at what happened to them."

"My father—came to you?" Mako choked on the words.

"Yeah—I'll probably end up having nightmares for weeks because of it." Tahno sat up more straightly in bed. "That was a pretty nasty scene—your parents' murder. From what your pops showed me of the scene—it had to be really traumatizing for you. Having to see your parents being burnt severely like they were by that dumbass pickpocket…I can only imagine how bad it must've been for you at the age of _eight _to witness that kind of thing, Mako."

"Yeah—it was." Mako hung his head as he was plagued by the memories.

"That red scarf I always see you wearing—from what I saw…it really means something to you," Tahno stated. "I always thought you were just ridiculously attached to that thing."

"It's the only thing I have left of my father," Mako replied. "I guess...you could say we were pretty close."

"And then you and your brother just…ended up on the streets after that? No other family to step in and take you both in?" Tahno asked him. The firebender somberly nodded, face obscured by shadows. "Did you ever regret being a firebender yourself because of that dumbass firebending pickpocket's actions?"

"I've never told anyone else this—not even Bolin—but…" as Mako spoke, the ex-bender detected barely restrained emotion in his tone. "…I regretted the fact that I was capable of the same thing as the mugger that took my parents lives. There's a part of me that I've buried deeper as time's passed that regrets it still when I reflect on the day they were murdered. For a while I hated the fact that I was a firebender. But, eventually—I learned to accept the fact that I _am_ one. I set out to prove that I could handle my bending more responsibly than the mugger did—and not turn into the _monster_ that people like him become. I know that's what my father would've wanted me to do—what they both would've wanted." He paused momentarily; he brought his hand quickly to his shadow-sheltered face, continuing when he returned it to his side. "At times…I've had to rely on my bending to get work so that I could pay for the things that would keep Bo and me alive, and to defend me and him on the streets. Plus—" his voice betrayed his attempts at emotional restraint. "How can I completely hate myself for it when it's one of the only things I have left of my parents?"

"You're lucky you and your pops were so close. I envy you for that, Mako," Tahno told him. "Me and my father… I always felt I disappointed him when I turned out to be a waterbender and not the earthbender he'd wanted, and we could never see eye to eye on anything—especially when it came to things involving me." After a moment of silence he added, awkwardly, "And, hey—don't take this as anything but a compliment, but…I don't see anything wrong with you being a firebender. I sure as hell don't see you as being a _monster_ because of it."

"I—appreciate you saying that—especially considering…your bending element _was_ water," Mako replied. He released a somber sounding breath then. "When it comes to my firebending, it's just—I wish I could've done _something_ with it to help my parents out when that mugger attacked them, you know? But all I could do was stand there, frozen in place. I couldn't even _help them_ when they needed me most."

"Hey—I…I'm sorry you lost your parents like that, Mako," Tahno murmured sincerely. "But come on, give yourself some credit—you were just a kid when that all went down. Do you think your parents would've wanted you to die too if you'd tried confronting the bastard with a few fireballs before he took off?"

"Probably not," Mako admitted, his voice strangely wavering.

"I don't like telling other people this, but—when I discovered Ming the night he committed suicide, I froze up and broke down," Tahno admitted to him. "Stood there with my mouth open in pure shock before my knees caved out from under me and I couldn't stop crying. The sound of me screaming must've alerted the neighbors, because not long after, a few of them came up to investigate." He paused, looking down at his hands. "It was probably one of the hardest things for me to see in my life. Seeing my _boyfriend_ hanging there—lifeless, blue in the face—with my mind refusing to believe that any of it was real. We'd always been so close—practically grew up together and helped each other through so much shit after the Amon ordeal...I mean—considering all that...I couldn't believe he'd leave me like that. It was freaking overwhelming." He looked up at the firebender again. "I'm sure it wasn't much different for you when you saw your own parents die right in front of you. Witnessing the deaths of the people closest to you—it's fucking traumatizing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Tahno—it is." When Mako finally lifted his face to have his auburn eyes meet up with the ex-bender's icy blues, Tahno got his first glimpse of the tears in the firebender's eyes. It was the first time Mako fully revealed that side of himself to the ex-bender—his vulnerable side, and it had an affect on the ex-waterbender, it caused his gut to twist up at the sight.

"You gonna be okay, Mako?" Tahno asked the firebender, who quickly swiped the evidential tear trails from his face before nodding.

"Yeah—I'll be fine. I just—don't talk about what personally happened to my parents all that often—or my feelings about it for that matter," Mako replied. "How about you? Do you think you'll be able to get back to sleep?"

"Eventually I should be able to," Tahno assured him. "You're looking a little exhausted there, Fireboy. You should go get some sleep. I know I'm overdue myself."

"Yeah, I am a little tired," Mako admitted, getting to his feet. "Hey—if you need anything else through the night, I guess—just give me a holler. Get some rest." Tiredly, the firebender made his way to the door, closing it softly before heading down the hall back to his room. In the meantime Tahno attempted to get back to sleep, tossing and turning a while until he finally managed to achieve slumber once more.


	6. Chapter 6

After getting maybe an hour's sleep at best, Tahno found himself awake and unable to get back to sleep. That fact drew him away from his room and towards the island's shore side, under the pristine view of a full ivory moon. He sat by the shoreline atop a rocky outcropping, absently casting rocks into the bay. His mind was constantly being reminded of the episode earlier that night involving Mako's father's disturbing supernatural visit.

For that matter—the ghastly apparition's visitation bombarded his thoughts as he cast one stone after the next. He had to wonder why the ghost chose to show himself to the ex-bender in that fashion—if it was meant as a threat or just an eye-opening approach at attaining Tahno's attention. If that's what it was—the mission was a success.

Thinking about that unsettling spiritual visitor, it made the former waterbender wonder what other spirits might eventually pay him a visit. Ming had stated quite blatantly that he would eventually receive other ghostly visitors; he could only hope they weren't all going to be like Mako's father's visit—

"Beautiful, isn't she?" The voice cut through the silence with alarming precision. It caused the ex-bender to jerk in shock, casting his gaze to the culprit beside him. It belonged to a man of water tribe descent, his skin darker in complexion and his hair tied up in a traditional water tribe wolf tail. Upon the man's face a nostalgic smile was displayed. His eyes shone with intelligence in their azure depths, mingling with an essence of humor. Those very eyes were looking skyward, up towards the brilliant ivory moon. Tahno's eyes followed the older man's eyes for a second, nodding slightly in response to the older man's inquiry.

"Princess Yue's sure brilliant tonight," the older man continued, his eyes still to the sky. "You really need to meet her sometime—she's absolutely stunning." His gaze finally met with the ex-bender's.

"Maybe I will sometime," Tahno replied. "You _are _referring to the Moon Spirit, I take it." 

"Yes, the one and only." the older man stated. "By the way, when you do—tell her Sokka said hello." He

looked skyward again. "I'm sure she'll understand it's meaning."

Tahno shot a quick glance toward the ivory orb hanging upon it inky _canvas_. "Why don't you just—" When his eyes returned to his unusual visitor, the water tribesman had vanished. The spot was once again dark and vacant.

"Hey, pretty boy—you've got a visitor."

This time the voice belonged to a woman standing near the walkway leading up towards the main expanse of the island, her eyes clouded as if they were sightless. She stood sturdy for someone who was blind to the world, as if—even in her blindness—she was very aware of her surroundings. Her skin was paler than the previous visitor's, the whole of her midnight black and gray streaked hair intricately pulled back, with a few chunks of it falling loosely to partially obscure her eyes and frame the contours of her face.

"Yeah? Who?" Tahno shouted in response. "And who the hell are _you_?"

"Someone who's paid you a visit before, he says. The father of some firebender you happen to know," She shouted her response. "The name's Toph, by the way—and don't you forget it!" Before he could shoot back a retort, she too vanished, much like the other man earlier—except right in front of his eyes this time.

Tahno's eyes searched the beach for more unexpected _guests_—getting a little unnerved by this bombardment of unexpected spiritual _visitors _all of a sudden. Who was next, Avatar Aang himself?

"Whoever's next in line, show yourself!" Tahno shouted to all his next prospective visitors, hoping to get them to reveal themselves while he was expecting them.

"I wanted to set things right after our interaction earlier this evening," Tahno did a quick turn to discover the source right behind him, the culprit a man who seemed vaguely familiar. Something in the shape of his face, especially his eyes—

"Mako's pops, right?" Tahno inquired. The man approached him, his footfalls soundless as they came in contact with the sand and gravel lining the shore. He didn't answer as he took a seat beside the ex-bender, not bothering to speak until his eyes met icy blues.

"Yes," the man replied simply. "I apologize for my—unorthodox first appearance, but I wanted to make sure I grabbed your attention."

"You succeeded in doing that," Tahno replied. "The ghoulish effect—is that really what you looked like after that bastard pickpocket fried you up, or was that for the _added effect _of scaring me witless?"

"The man responsible for our deaths incinerated my flesh before he took off. He blasted me with all he had in his desperate attempt to cover his tracks," the firebender's father responded.

"That must've hurt like a bitch," Tahno responded, grimacing at the very thought of the pain he was sure the man had dealt with before he succumbed to his injuries.

"Not as much as you suspect. Death came instantly for me, thankfully," Mako's father assured him. "My wife, Mako's mother, wasn't as lucky, but I'm thankful her suffering wasn't prolonged."

"Hey, so—Mako told me that he regretted that he didn't do something to stop the bastard in his tracks after he mowed you two down with his firebending. Insisted that he should've done _something _to stop the man before he took off," Tahno said, asking, "You okay with the fact that he didn't bother to react, or do you wish he'd stepped in and stopped the bastard in his tracks?"

"If Mako had stepped in, he more than likely could have ended up being the man's next victim. Without him—Bolin would have been much worse off, all alone and without family to be there for him. Six year olds don't fare well on the streets all by themselves." The look in the man's eyes was deeply melancholic. "I'm thankful that Mako _didn't _react—that he and his brother are still alive."

"I'm sure Mako will be glad to hear it when I pass that on to him," Tahno told the apparition.

"There are a few other things I'd like you to tell him for me," The spirit said. "Firstly—I know he saw the face of our murderer. I want you to be sure to tell him that he doesn't need to bother pursuing the perpetrator. He no longer needs to even worry about him—the man had a streak of bad luck which eventually lead to his undoing."

"I take it that you mean the bastard got himself killed somehow," Tahno replied.

Mako's father nodded. "The man got himself caught up in a triad situation that turned out to be too much for him to handle." After a pause the young firebender's father's spirit went on. "Also...tell Mako he doesn't need to feel ashamed of his actions the day we were murdered, or of who is he is. I want you to make sure you assure him for us that we're both very proud of him—both he and Bolin,"

"Yeah, I'll tell him that," Tahno told him. "Anything else you want me to tell him?"

"Tell him I'm happy that he kept his promise about his scarf," The spirit replied. "He promised me he'd keep it vivid red for a very long time the day I gave it to him, and it looks like he kept his word."

"I'll relay that to him too," Tahno replied. "Hey—is his mother around here somewhere too? Or—do you know anything about Asami Sato's mom? Promised her I'd try and hook her up with her mother."

"Mako's mother is—" before he could finish that thought, the specter vanished. Not more than an instant afterwards the ex-bender heard approaching footsteps.

"I heard you leave your room earlier." His late night visitor was none other than the young firebender himself, Mako. Tahno watched as he drew near, eyes on him as he took a seat on the rocky outcropping beside him. "Couldn't sleep?"

"You could say that," Tahno replied. "Hey, um—Mako? Your pops just visited me again."

"Oh?" Mako's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise. "What'd he have to say?"

"A few things," Tahno replied. "He wanted me to assure you that the perp responsible for your parents' deaths got himself killed, so you don't have to worry about that bastard causing anymore trouble."

"The man responsible—my father's certain he's dead?" Mako questioned him.

Tahno nodded. "Said the guy met his end getting caught up in a bad deal with one of the triads," he replied. "He also wanted me to assure you that you don't need to be ashamed of the fact that you froze up when the bastard killed them—or the fact that you're a firebender for that matter. He's thankful you didn't react because he believes you could've been next if you had. He doesn't want you to feel ashamed of yourself at all—they're both very proud of how you guys turned out."

"He—really said he was proud of me?" Mako asked, his voice breaking. Again, the ex-bender nodded.

"Yeah," Tahno said. "And, Mako? He also mentioned something about your scarf."

"Yeah? What'd he say?"

"He's—thankful you kept your promise to him...about keeping it as bright red as the day he gave it to you," Tahno informed him. "He's happy you kept it in very good shape like you promised him you would."

"I made that promise to him right after he gave it to me," Mako replied, voice emotion choked. He tried hiding his face in the shadows, as if he didn't want to reveal the fact that he was emotionally overwhelmed. By some unconscious effort, the ex-bender leaned closer towards the firebender, gently taking the tip of his chin in his hand and redirecting the firebender's face back into view.

"And he's happy you kept it, Mako." Tahno said in hardly more than a murmur. The ex-bender's eyes held the firebender's auburn gaze, noticing the vulnerability lingering in their depths. The tear trails staining the firebender's face pulled at the former waterbender's heartstrings, causing him to instinctively make the effort to clear away the evidence with a gentle caress of one hand across the other man's skin.

Under the moonlight the tears in the firebender's eyes glistened like pristine jewels. He traced the firebender's lower lids with his thumb with utmost care, collecting up the salty liquid that threatened to spill forth and meander downwards, catching it before it could make its descent. The ex-waterbender's hand then traced the contours of the firebender's face, tilting it upwards so their eyes met directly. He froze there, icy blues looking over the whole of the firebender's moon illuminated face before transfixing with his gold- flecked auburn orbs.

Before he knew it, the former waterbender was leaning in closer to the firebender until the space between them became non-existent. He didn't hesitate as he tilted the other man's head further until the angle was just right for their lips to meet. All the while he got no resistance from the firebender, and at the back of his mind—that startled the ex-bender.

The ex-bender deepened the kiss, daring to slip his tongue past the firebender's lips. He first had tasted the borders before the firebender complied with the action and allowed him to delve further. In the process the firebender managed to get in a little tongue action himself.

From the response he received, he expected the firebender to respond in kind with his facial expression. It wasn't until after the ex-bender pulled away and was staring the other man in the eyes that he saw the startled expression crossing the firebender's face.

"I-I don't know what overcame me," Tahno hid his face from the firebender. "I—I probably shouldn't have done that."

"Yeah." Mako sounded dazed. "I like you, but I don't like you _that way_. Besides—I love Korra." 

"You and the Avatar—you have a thing?" Tahno questioned, still not able to look the firebender's way.

"Yeah," Mako confirmed simply.

"Sorry—I didn't know." Tahno hunched his shoulders, crestfallen. A moment later he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he finally looked up.

"No problem," Mako assured him. "Just—remember that fact." 

"If it wasn't for the Avatar, would I even have a chance?" Tahno asked apprehensively.

Mako looked troubled and unsure of how to answer that. "I never bothered to think about it," he admitted. "I never thought about kissing another guy before now either though." He looked away from the ex-bender momentarily, as if to collect his own thoughts. When his eyes focused again on the ex-bender he added, "Never say never though."

An awkward, long-standing silence fell between the two. Neither the firebender nor the former waterbender were able to look in the other's direction. Tahno felt foolish for making that move, while Mako was trying to collect his thoughts over the incident. Eventually, Mako got to his feet and looked out across the bay towards the dimly lit cityscape across the way.

"We should probably head in before anybody notices that either one of us are out here," Mako said, looking in the ex-bender's direction. "Hopefully nobody noticed that we're down here, or saw—you know."

"Yeah," Tahno's nerves were on edge, but he managed a feeble grin. "It's—probably time to check in."

"I'll show you back up," Mako offered with restrained awkwardness. The ex-bender could only nod in kind in response, and then the two were heading away from the beach with not a word spared between the two along the way.

XoXoX

_The air was chilly, heavy with freezing condensation at every exhaled breath. Albeit the fact that the air was frigidly cold, the atmosphere was alive and bright. _

_It was the eve of one of the days during the Southern Water Tribe Festival, and the scene was filled with the sights and sounds of lively festivities. Citizens of both the Southern Water Tribe and abroad were attending the festivities, and that included the young Avatar and her friends and family. _

"_Come, dance with me." Korra's hand extended out towards his. "Its tradition." Mako complied as the music continued and they moved with the flow of the masses. Usually more tomboyish and not really well suited to formalities, Korra moved with unusual grace as she and the firebender shifted about that dance floor made of ice. Across the icy dance floor from them, Bolin had Korra's cousin, Eska's hand in his. _

_Moments and movements meshed into one, bringing the two into a reality where it was just the two of them set in motion. Nobody outside their own awareness mattered to them, for they were wrapped entirely up in themselves. And then—catastrophe struck. _

_They first heard the sound of shouting and some structures crashing nearby. While the two were frozen in place watching as the sounds of chaos moved closer to them, people were frantically scrambling about trying to escape. When it all finally began to register for the two of them along with Bolin and Eska, the four raced in the direction it was all originating from to investigate the cause. As the four rounded a curve in their pathway through the festival grounds, they came face to face with the source. Or, to be more precise— sources. _

_It was the same spirit that bothered to confront Korra a few days earlier, the incident she had arrogantly brushed off and thought she'd taken care of. Now—that spirit was back, and it had brought some friends along with it. _

"_Eska, Bo—go get Tenzin, Asami and some help, me and Mako will try to handle this until you guys get back," Korra told the earthbender and her cousin. They both nodded before bolting off looking for help. Korra turned her attention to the firebender by her side, stating somberly to him, "We need to draw them away _

_from the festival. I don't want people to get hurt because I didn't handle the situation between this spirit and me properly." _

"_Korra—have you dealt with this spirit before?" Mako looked at her quizzically. She hesitantly nodded.  
_

"_I didn't think it was that big of a deal at first," Korra admitted. "Now—now we've got a real situation." Mako _

_only nodded, and then moved to help lure the spirit attack away from the festival. _

_They only managed to draw one of the spirits away from the festivities, and that was the leader of the group, the one who had made the first initial confrontation with the Avatar. As the duo worked to lure it further and further away from the festival, Korra caught sight out of the corner of her eye Bolin and Eska's return with Asami, Tenzin and some other help. They were fast at work trying to deal with the spirits rampaging through the festival grounds while the other two were busy luring their leader away from it. _

_Korra and her firebender managed to lure the dark spirit out towards the icy tundra surrounding the festival grounds and the water tribe, but it wouldn't turn out to be an easy encounter. _

"_You have something you need to settle with me, huh?" Korra shouted at the creature. " Let's handle this— you and me—somewhere else where there's nobody else around, spirit to Avatar." _

_The spirit didn't respond to that. It was on the attack even as the two put up a defensive, launching attacks it's way to keep it at bay. While Korra faced off with the dark spirit, one of its companions came to help it out. That one kept Mako busy, leaving Korra to face the leader on her own. _

_While Mako was busy shooting fire blasts at his new opponent, Korra was busy stirring up her own elemental attacks at hers. She shot multiple strikes with water and fire at the spirit; it easily took or avoided each one she made. It also seemed impervious to her combination attacks, and it seemed unaffected by even her strongest forms of defense. _

_Before Korra could resort to the Avatar State to deal with the Spirit, it had her pinned to the ground; it's bulk looming over her. She struggled against its grip, but it held her steadfast, her attacks having little to no effect on it whatsoever until it had her held helplessly in place. _

"_Then let us settle this matter in the Spirit World, where we will be on equal grounds—young __**Avatar**__." It's voice originated from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, it's tone deep and ethereal. "We have watched over the centuries how your kind has abused your status as the bridge between the two realms. You treat your abilities as if they are instruments in a game—resorting to using the Avatar State to cheat at a game with mere children? And you are not the first Avatar to resort to using your special abilities for personal uses. My purpose here is to make sure you're the last to employ your __**talents **__as __**toys**_."

"_Are you planning to eliminate her?" Make suddenly exclaimed, taking a brief hiatus from his attack with his own spiritual opposition. He came close to being dealt a blow by that said opponent, only avoiding a catastrophic strike by mere centimeters. His voice brought the attention of the creature directly towards him. _

"_If we're not able to come to a reasonable resolution, it could come to that." The towering dark spirit turned its attention back to where it still had Korra pinned. "I insist on there being no outside interference. This conflict is between you and I, and I expect that you keep it that way, and don't let any others get involved." The creature particularly glanced over in the firebender's direction as it spoke. "I expect your appearance within a fortnight. You shall find entry into the Spiritual realm at the Southern Water Tribe's spiritual nexus— the very iceberg from which your predecessor emerged after a century's internment there. Do not delay or leave me waiting, or the consequences to that could be...devastating." It looked to the firebender again specifically as it sounded out the last word, and then it was being fully confrontational with the young Avatar. "Learn from your predecessor Kuruk—don't make the same error he did." _

_It called out to its companions in a hauntingly echoic tune. The call caused its fellow spirits to cease in their destructive actions. And then, just as the chaos had erupted, it abruptly came to a halt. _

_And just as abruptly as they had appeared, the spirits were gone—dematerialized as if they never had any substance to them in the first place. In the wake of their hasty departure, they left a realm of devastation. A few moans and groans emerged from toppled structures and ice pavilions. Blood mingled with the _

_recently melted ice water at its direct contact with the creature, running in streams up and down the avenues littered with debris. _

—_**O— **_

_Two days later, the festival was still in disrepair. The priority had been to tend to the wounded and the possible dead. Thankfully, there had been only one casualty, and it had been an elderly man who succumbed to heart failure due to literally being scared to death. Most of the injuries were otherwise not too serious or were at least treatable, so physically there weren't too many repercussions due to the spirits' attack. _

_The young Avatar was surveying the damage, expression drawn into a frown as she looked every which way. The attack had been a wake up call to her—it had troubled her to the core. _

_Along with her was a small gathering of confidants—friends and family she relied on most for support—her Krew. Her waterbending sifu Katara and her airbending son Tenzin and his wife Pema, Lin Beifong—the daughter of the late originator of the art of metalbending, the two bending brothers she'd come to closely rely on for support—Mako and Bolin, Asami—the daughter of the late Hiroshi Sato, Her two cousins visiting from the Northern Water Tribe—Eska and her twin brother Desna, and—of course—her own loving parents. _

"_I can't let this get out of hand—I've got to go." Korra, voice sturdy and determined, informed the gathering. A few only gave grave nods in agreement; a few said or did nothing. The two with the most evident reactions were the bending brothers—especially Mako. Asami looked as troubled as those two did, but she understood deep down she couldn't voice her opinion on such a matter as this. She knew what had to be done—even if Mako wasn't so easily convinced. _

"_Korra—it could be dangerous, or worse—it could be a trap," Mako argued with her. She smiled very faintly, a rather sorrowed little expression. "Can't you even consider looking into other options?" _

"_Bro—Korra's got to do what she's gotta do," Bolin calmly reminded his brother. "It's a part of her duties; she's the Avatar." _

"_Mako..." Korra's voice came out pained. "I've got to go—especially for you. I contacted Kuruk—the last waterbending Avatar—and he told me what the dark spirit meant by its threat. The spirit was referring to Kuruk's past with Koh, the Face Stealer—and I can't start gambling with my chances like he did. I'm not going to lose you—or anyone else—because I made some errors in judgment that ended up costing you your lives—or worse." _

"_At least give it another couple of days before you take off," Mako almost pleaded with her. _

"_That's what I'd been planning to do, Mako. I need a couple of days to gather my inner strength before I strike the path least travelled with Naga and Avatar Aang as my guides." She grabbed him and dragged the firebender into an aggressively passionate kiss, even with the onlookers— _

—_**O— **_

_The night before her departure, the two were alone in her special quarters. They were saying their farewells in a way that wasn't necessary for any of the others to be present for. Candlelight danced off the crystalline walls encasing them in, the room devoid of the sights or sounds of anyone but the two of them. _

_Korra had her head leaning against Mako's shoulder, contented smile on her face, her eyes closed. He drew her face up so that he could kiss her. They spent a few moments reveling in their own personal connection with one another, eventually leading to her lying with him, his arm wrapped around her. _

"_I need for you and Bolin to head back to Republic City." Korra spoke up suddenly. He reacted abruptly, sitting up. She adjusted her position to the shift, looking him in the eye in the process. _

"_Why?" Mako exclaimed, question written all over his face.  
_

"_I don't want either of you—or anyone else I care about—being too close to this region if something were to _

_happen to me in the Spirit World, if...something were to go wrong and all chaos were to be break loose from the spiritual nexus because of it." Her lips were drawn into a small line, eyes like sorrow-filled ocean shallows. "I don't want anything to happen to you—any of you—if I make a blunder out there." _

"_You won't blunder—you're the Avatar," Mako tried reassuring her. She shook her head. _

"_I'm not perfect, and I've made blunders as the Avatar before," Korra replied, her voice becoming insistent as she continued. "Bolin's got his new team to tend to—and you've got your job. Which—I can easily admit—you're really good at. Republic City needs you guys, and there's nothing for you here at the South Pole while I'm gone. Please Mako, just listen to me—and head back." _

"_Korra—" Mako felt fractured and pained. "If you really insist—Me and Bo will go back. But, I need you to know this—I'll be worrying about you, and nothing—__**nothing **__is going to change that for me." _

"_I wasn't going to try and make you think otherwise," Korra finally managed to smile, lightening up the mood that had grown tense in the last few instances. "Just don't worry too much—okay? I'll be back; it might take me a while—but I will be back." _

Mako couldn't seem to get much for good sleep. He'd awoken three times through the night after he returned to bed and got to sleep. As he groggily thought about a possible cause, his incident with the ex-bender on the beach from earlier came to mind. Something about it—the kiss—was conflicting him, enough to cause him to relive those particular moments with Korra while he dreamt.

What was it? Mako couldn't make up his mind. He tried shrugging it off so he could pull the covers up closer and attempt to get some meaningful sleep. He had work in the morning, and the last thing he needed was to be tired on the job.

XoXoX

Asami watched the dancing sunbeams on the ripples of Yue Bay as she made her way up the pier and towards more substantial ground. She'd managed to make time in her schedule to get in a training session with her ex-bender pupil, freedom from her hectic schedule at Future Industries that she more than gratefully appreciated. Engineers had been hounding her all day while they were working out the final tweaks to her company's newest airplane line before they would hit the mainstream. She could still hear the incessant requests of theirs to gain her attention. _'Miss Sato' 'Miss Sato'..._she never knew she could get sick of hearing the sound of her own name being called out time and time again.

She found the ex-bender sitting cross-legged in the middle of the arena, looking contemplative. He almost jumped out of his skin when she touched him lightly to gain his attention when her approach wasn't enough.

"_AUGH! _Oh, Asami—it's just you." Tahno composed himself. "I thought it might be another spirit coming around to bug me."

"Have a rough night with visitations from spirits?" Asami asked him, taking a spot right next to him, also crossing her legs under her.

"Last night they decided to bombard me with their presence—starting with the ghastly sight that once was Mako's dad. The rest of the evening until morning a bunch of random ones decided it might be fun to disturb my sleep," Tahno told her. "Had a one-on-one session with the old airbender earlier this morning. He told me that meditation would help me block out their annoying presences when I don't want to have to confront them. I was getting in some practice until you got here."

"So—is it looking promising that you're able to contact other spirits beside your dead friend?" Asami asked him hopefully. "Like my mother?"

"I can make the confirmation that it _definitely _goes beyond Ming, and that talking to your mother's a possibility," Tahno informed her.

"That's certainly a welcome thought," Asami replied. "Do you think getting in some practice sessions with me will help provide a good distraction for you, pretty boy?" she asked him. He smiled.

"It'll do more than provide a distraction from spirits, babe," Tahno replied, getting to his feet.

"Good." Asami smiled in response, also getting up to her feet.

They went over the routine from their last session, with him showing that he'd picked up on the techniques rather quickly. He made very few errors as they ran through the routine, even evenly matching her or getting the advantage over her with some maneuvers. When she felt she was satisfied that her pupil had the routine down, Asami moved on to the next step.

She ran him through a new round of moves, admiring the quickness in his ability to pick up the new moves and perfect their stances. When they got around to practicing them, she had to be more alert of his maneuvers in order to keep on her toes and not be defeated by him.

"You've really shown signs of improvement," Asami noted as she barely dodged one of his strikes.

"I've needed something to keep me distracted throughout the day besides the old airbender's meditation techniques," Tahno informed her. He evaded one of her maneuvers with an easy twist of his body, putting himself quite easily out of her path. Asami corrected her stance, watching for an opening—an opportunity to strike when he least expected it.

"Besides having to deal with an onslaught of spirits, what else has been going on with you since our last session yesterday?" Asami asked him. She found her opportunity and made it; he just barely maneuvered out of the way to miss a direct blow. She still managed to get in a glancing blow that left him favoring his shoulder a bit.

"Not sure if I should bring this up with you, but I need to get this off my chest by telling somebody," Tahno was on the defensive, avoiding and evading her constant attempts and jabs directed his way. "First though— how do you and Mako know each other? What's the deal between you two? I get the sense that you guys know each other as more than just acquaintances, but—" He dodged a fist aimed directly at his face with mere millimeters to spare from feeling the full impact.

"We're just friends," Asami told him, correcting her stance after her last strike failed to hit home. "We were once dating, but his feelings for Korra got in the way—so we ended up breaking it off. We broke it off mostly on good terms, although it still hurt that he didn't bother to confront me about his feelings before it reached that stage." She steadied herself on her two feet, preparing her stance for her next move. "What makes you ask about that?"

"I accidently...um—kissed him...last night," Tahno informed her somewhat awkwardly. Asami froze up in mid stance.

"You...kissed—Mako?" Asami was staring at him wide-eyed. "Is that part of the reason why you were so uncomfortable with me kissing you yesterday? Are you gay?"

"What? N-no—I'm bi," Tahno replied defensively. "T-there are other reasons why I wasn't comfortable with you laying one on me yesterday—but it had nothing to do with you being a woman. If I were interested in you...I'd definitely have no problems making out with _you_, babe." He looked away from her. "I've just—I guess...been developing something for Fireboy over the last couple weeks. But I know now that's not gonna go anywhere, since he's seeing the Avatar and everything." He started to suddenly feel self-conscious. She approached him in a friendly manner, and not in one of her resorted to practice maneuvers.

"You don't have to feel embarrassed about admitting that to me," Asami assured him. "I'm not going to judge you for it. You see—you and I...we have that in common—I'm also bi."

"A pretty rich girl like you—the daughter of a bigwig industrialist like Hiroshi—openly admitting to having a thing for girls _as well as _guys?" Tahno exclaimed, somewhat incredulously.

"Yeah—even pretty little rich girls with bigwig corporate dads can turn out to be gay or bisexual," Asami informed him. "Haven't you ever heard the saying '_don't judge a book by its cover'_?"

"If you're bi, then name a girl or two you've had real crushes on," Tahno challenged her. She didn't hesitate in giving him a response. 

"Like you—I'm sort of caught up in a one-sided deal," Asami replied, smiling ironically. "I _like _Korra."

"The Avatar," Tahno mused. "I must say—you've got interesting tastes—especially for a pretty rich girl."

"I admire and respect Korra deeply; she's strong-willed, compassionate, stands up for what she believes in—as well as being a loyal and good friend. After we managed to patch things up over the fiasco between us involving Mako—she really put herself out there for me and helped me out when I really needed it after the responsibility of my father's floundering business was dropped on my shoulders," Asami informed him straightforwardly. "She went out of her way to convince the other companies to put stock in Future Industries, and she personally assured me she'd do what she could to make sure that my company didn't go under. I'll probably owe her for that for the rest of my life. Also—she was the one who revealed my father as being the despicable man he'd become. If it weren't for her—I'd probably still have a lot of respect for my father." She looked at him squarely. "Is that enough reasons to _like _Korra—huh, pretty boy?"

"More than enough I'd say," Tahno said. 

"Don't think that my reasons for liking her stop there," Asami added. He shot her a sly grin.

"I wasn't going to argue with you about it," Tahno answered, adding, "Wanna keep up with our currently interrupted session—or have you had enough of me for today?"

"Don't think your confession—or my own admission—is going to get you off from your training session," Asami informed him with a mischievous grin. "I came here to teach you self-defense techniques that you can use until you get your bending back—and I'm not about to quit in the middle of our lesson just because of that."

"Wait—_what?_" Tahno stared at her, wide-eyed. "What are you talking about—_getting my bending back? _It's pretty obvious I'm never getting that back."

"You don't know?" Asami exclaimed. He stared blankly at her. "Korra learned how to restore people's bending after Amon was defeated. I personally saw her restore Lin Beifong's earthbending while we were spending time at the South Pole."

"Nobody bothered to inform me of that fact," Tahno stated bitterly. "Apparently—they thought it was better to keep me in the dark about it."

"I'm sorry to have just blabbed it like that—I just figured you knew," Asami told him. "I'm sure...they had a reason why they haven't gotten around to telling you."

"I don't care if they have a _reason_—they should have told me regardless," Tahno looked pissed. "I think I need to call it for today, Asami—I don't think I can continue with this session right now."

"Okay," Asami replied. "Look, Tahno—I'm sure Mako wasn't trying to spite you by keeping the info away from you. I mean, Korra's not here right now, so—it's not like it matters much either way whether you know about it or not," she told him. "I'm sure—when she eventually returns...he was planning on telling you, so don't get too resentful over it. Mako just... has difficulty knowing how to handle personal situations correctly sometimes. Take this from somebody who knows about that firsthand." She rested her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. He looked up at her, his icy blues showing her how troubled he was.

"I have to think this over, but—I'll try to be rational while I'm doing it," Tahno told her. She smiled faintly.

"Good luck with that," Asami said. "And Tahno, don't worry—I'm here for you if you ever need me. I've got your back."

"Thanks, Asami," Tahno responded. 

"Now that you know—that Korra's able to restore your bending, that is—do you still want to keep up with the

self-defense lessons with me, or are you through with them?" Asami asked, grabbing her gear.

"Oh—I'm not going to quit with our sessions just because there's a strong possibility I can get my bending back," Tahno informed her. "Even though he's apparently been holding back on me, I gave Fireb—I mean, Mako—my word that I would make the effort to better myself, and I'm not giving him a reason to think I'm going to sink back into my old habits—or go back to being the _old me_."

"I'll make sure to keep openings in my schedule so we can get in some sessions then," Asami smiled pleasantly. "I'll see you later—pretty boy."

"Later, babe." Tahno forced a smile as she walked off, despite the fact that his insides were twisting and churning in mental anguish.

XoXoX

The workday had been a long and stressful one; the triads were more active, and it didn't help that Mako's mind was conflicted by many different thoughts. His worry over Korra's absence was increasingly renewed with Tahno's actions the previous eve—and his mind was in turmoil on just that thought alone.

What had gotten into him that caused him to not pull away immediately when the ex-bender had leaned in like he had? Or when their lips met, locked—why did he allow it to keep going, even—pursue it? Did he miss intimacy that much that he was willing to take it from any source willing to provide it for him?

He knew he wasn't like that—he didn't seek out physical connections devoid of emotional ones. The struggles he'd endured after his parents' deaths—having to ensure his brother's safety as he fought for their survival; all of that had built a foundation that didn't seek out comfort or pleasure for the pure sake of lust.

So what was it? What had delayed him from pulling away from the kiss when he'd had all the opportunities to do so? Was he starting to _feel _something for the former waterbender? He couldn't go through that again. No—not after what he did to Asami. He couldn't do the same thing—repeat the same mistake—with Korra. He'd liked Asami—_a lot_—but he loved Korra. And he missed her terribly—

He sighed. Another disturbance by one of the Triads just cropped up on the other side of the city, and he had to look into the matter. Innocent lives depended on his quick decisiveness and actions, so he couldn't let his own personal troubles get in the way of protecting lives. He knew, in a way, that's Korra would want that. Above all else—protecting people from devastation was a passion of hers, and a priority of hers as the Avatar.

Keeping that thought in mind, he set his motorcycle in motion, speeding off towards the scene where the Triad was most likely wreaking havoc.

XoXoX

After Asami's departure, Tahno struggled to keep himself mentally together. He tried to deal with his conflicted thoughts like she had suggested—handle it rationally like she said he should. He resumed the position he'd been in before her arrival—legs crossed under him, eyes closed, his mind attempting to reach a calm state of meditation. Try though he might—he couldn't redirect his thoughts from his inner turmoil, the feeling of utter betrayal and anguish.

"I witnessed that last scene between you and pretty Miss Sato." Ming's voice crumbled his vain attempts at concentration. Tahno opened his eyes, the mental dams holding back his tumultuous emotions crashing down.

"Were you aware of the fact that the Avatar can return peoples' bending to them, Ming?" Tahno demanded, getting to his feet hastily, his expression twisted in unrestrained fury. He got his finger up in the spectral ex- earthbender's face, speaking accusingly. "I bet you've known all this time like they did! Didn't feel the need to _inform me of that development!_" Ming's expression looked stricken and speechless.

"Tahno—" the words escaped Ming—who stood there, eyes on the finger aimed at his face.

"_What am I to them?" _Tahno shouted angrily, tears building in his eyes. He turned away from his appalled spectral _boyfriend_. "I've been here for practically _three weeks _and they bothered to keep that info from me— kept me believing that it was a pipe dream to ever think I'd get my bending back. For what—for _pity's sake? _Have I only been a pity project for them all this time—like a bird with a broken wing that needs time to heal before it can fly again? Am I only like that to them?"

"Look, Tahno—you're not—"

"Ming—_just LEAVE ME ALONE!" _Tahno took a swing at his best friend. Ming withdrew his presence before the ex-bender's fist could strike him—or, at least, the air where he insubstantially had been standing anyways.

The ex-bender hurriedly ran away from the training arena, not caring where his feet took him as long as it was away from other people and his troubles. When his feet came to a halt, he was staring out at the same stretch of beach where he had his mental breakdown over a week before. Thinking back on that—it only brought him more mental anguish.

"Was it all an act, Mako—huh? You helping me through my breakdown on this beach during that storm last week?" Tahno shouted angrily to nobody in particular. "Was it all an act done out of pity_?_" He took heavy steps towards the water, splashing loudly as he pressed out to about knee depth. He stopped, looking out towards the city, tears pressing their way forward from his tear ducts in vast numbers. "I was such a _fool _to believe it could ever be anything more than that." His knees collapsed out from under him, and he found himself sobbing as gentle waves lapped at him from all sides. "A _fool!_" He cried. "_FOOL!_"

He crashed his hands against the water's tension, sending water droplets flying every which way. Splashing his face, his arms—drenching him in it's cold, uncaring dampness. He sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed. As he pressed his palms against the rocky bottom underwater, he leaned forward, letting his head droop with his hair falling in front of his face.

The ex-bender was too consumed in his grief and anguish to notice that he had a silent observer watching him from a spot hidden behind some rocky outcroppings along the beach. Two saddened, chocolate brown eyes watched him as he knelt in the seawater and buried his face in his hands while he continued to cry, his shoulders shaking.

"I don't pity you, Tahno—and I know nobody else here does either—especially Mako," Jinora murmured in a small voice that barely carried above the gentle breeze caressing her face and shuffling around her shortish brown locks. "I knew he should've come to Air Temple Island sooner."

XoXoX

His long enduring shift finally ran its course, and Mako was more than ready to call it a day. He made one final check-in with Ishio before he departed back to Air Temple Island for the night.

The ferry rocked as it crossed the channel from the main port of the city over to its island destination. Mako paid it little thought while his mind was preoccupied. Once his mind was freed of the burdens of his job, it was occupied by his other troubles. His concern for Korra for one—where was she, was she okay? Did something happen—was she ever coming back? As time passed and he heard nothing from her, he began to worry that something happened to her. That the dark spirit carried out its promise if things between it and Korra _couldn't _be resolved—

And just as he was dwelling on his worry for her, the incident involving the former waterbender from the previous evening invaded his thoughts. He kept seeing Tahno's face—the dejection lingering in those icy cyan-hued eyes of his, the apprehension in his voice as he looked at the firebender with those said eyes and asked, '_If it wasn't for the Avatar, would I even have a chance?' _

Mako felt like he should be mad at the ex-waterbender for that move—for kissing him like he had, but—for some reason...he wasn't. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe, just _maybe_—

"We've reached the pier," The ferry driver's call interrupted his thoughts. He looked to the man, smiled quickly, nodding before he disembarked the vessel and descended down the long pier towards shore.

His mind was just returning to its confliction between his worry over Korra and his thoughts involving Tahno when he nearly ran Tenzin's elder sister, Kya, down. He stopped, stepping back a few paces to look her in the eye. Cast across her expression he realized she wasn't her usual jovial self; instead, she appeared uncharacteristically serious.

"Mako—we've got a situation," Kya told him, voice tense and grave.

"What's going on?" he asked her.

"Jinora came to me a couple of hours ago, all stirred up—and told me there was a matter I needed to intervene in on the beach," Kya responded. "She wouldn't give me specifics as she hasted me down to the shoreline. When we got down there, she pointed out to the water and said to me, '_help him_'. She was pointing out towards Tahno. He was kneeling in the water, having a mental breakdown. From what I managed to gather from him and what Jinora managed to overhear—he found out that Korra's capable of restoring his waterbending."

Mako almost choked in shock. "W-who told him?"

"Asami apparently did during their practice session earlier this afternoon," Kya informed him. "Mako—Tenzin told me about the agreement you had with him about withholding that information from Tahno, but—now that he knows—you need to go talk to Tahno about it, clear up a few things with him."

"Besides his breakdown, how is Tahno reacting to the news?" Mako asked her. He reflected on the thoughts he'd been contemplating over during his ferry ride, his innards twisting up as he thought them over further.

"He thinks your concern for him was all an act," Kya told him. "It took some convincing to get it through to him that we don't all just pity him—that we really _do _care about his wellbeing—but I think he still believes that you only feel pity for him."

"Tell me where he is—I'll go talk to him," Mako said to her.

"I told him to go seek solace with the Moon Spirit—that hopefully Princess Yue might be able to provide him some peace of mind until we get this situation cleared up," Kya told him. "He wanted to do it alone, but he said the beach he was going to be on should be in that direction." She indicated a stretch of beach beyond a cliff side and some rocky outcroppings. "He should still be there."

"Thanks, Kya—I'll go get this all cleared up with him," Mako assured her. Kya lightened up her solemn demeanor with a faint smile.

"Good luck, Mako," Kya told him as he headed in the direction she'd indicated. He waved, and then moved on.

XoXoX

Tahno sat on the rocky outcropping, head resting on his upraised palms, elbows propped up by his knees. He was looking out at Yue Bay as it was bathed in the light of the very source for which the bay derived its name, his vision entranced by the dancing moonbeams upon the ripples of the water.

_After the elder waterbender managed to get him dried off and calmed down enough to talk to her, she asked him what was wrong. After several long, drawn moments of him remaining silent and some persistence on the elder waterbender's account, he eventually sighed and told her. _

"_Nobody here pities you," Kya assured him. "Jinora was so scared that you might hurt yourself out there in the water, and you've become like a son to me." _

"_Why did they withhold that information from me then?" he furrowed his brow, frown cast across the corners of his mouth. _

"_Maybe they thought it would be too much for you while you were still dealing with a lot of grief," Kya tried explaining to him. "They didn't want you hurting any more than you were. I sure know that's my feelings on the matter." _

"_What's Mako's excuse?"  
_

"_I don't know that Tahno," Kya confessed. "I'll talk to my brother, Tenzin, about what's going on in regards to _

_them withholding the information from you—but I'm pretty sure Mako didn't mean to hurt you by doing that." _

_Tahno didn't have anything to add to that, or anything else to say to her. The two were sitting on an outcropping by the beach. His eyes were out on the water, watching the colors of the sky above fade from day to dusk on the bay's ripples. He heard her release a heavy sigh, but didn't turn to look her way. _

"_Tahno...I know you don't have your bending at the moment, but deep down you're still a waterbender at heart. Whenever a waterbender is troubled, they can seek solace from the Moon Spirit. Why don't you go seek out Princess Yue and gain some peace of mind from her? You should be able to gain her personal audience once the full moon rises in the sky in an hour or two." _

_He only gave a nod in acknowledgment. He still didn't turn his icy blues towards her even as she got to her feet and made it known she was ready to depart. _

"_Will you try talking to Princess Yue?" he heard the persistence in her voice for a response. _

"_Yeah—I'll be somewhere on this beach trying to get her attention. I need to be alone to meet with her though." _

_Kya released a disappointed sounding breath. "Good luck. I'll leave you to that." _

Tahno was still waiting for Yue to present herself. The moon, the first—original waterbender; even with his bending stripped—he realized he still felt that connection with the original source, like Kya suggested. She had a pull on him, one that no force—outside death itself—could keep him away from. He longed—yearned for the presence of Yue, the princess—the Moon Spirit.

"_You have come to seek solace for your conflicted thoughts." _The voice was feminine, ethereal. Tahno looked up, spotting the source levitating above the surface of the bay. The bay so rightfully named after the apparition floating there in front of him.

"Are gonna help me out with that?" Tahno asked the beautiful apparition, getting off the outcropping to stand at the shoreline.

"_I will try,_" Yue spoke. "_Tell me—what troubles you?"_

__"I'm feeling conflicted over some thoughts involving the firebender who rescued me from the river during my

suicide attempt," Tahno's gaze matched up with her ethereal stare. "Do you know who—what I'm talking about?"

"_Yes, I do_." Sorrow reflected on Yue's features. "_I know that you feel he betrayed you by holding back information you feel he should have shared with you_."

"Yeah—Mako forgot to tell me that I could get my bending back!" Tahno cried. "How can I not feel like he's been leading me on this whole time—making me think he gave a damn about me and my wellbeing when he couldn't bother to fill me in on that little detail?"

"_Perhaps he felt that it was better to withhold the information until you were mentally stable enough to handle learning about it," _Yue suggested to him. "_Sometimes half-truths and covered truths are relied on in order to protect someone who's in pain from further sorrow. Would you have been able to recover from your troubles if you'd known the truth earlier?" _

Tahno had to search through his troubled thoughts to find the answer to that. The more he reflected on the concept, the more he realized the Moon Spirit might have a point. "Probably not." He managed to admit.

"_Can you see how that was likely Mako's motivation?_" Yue pointed out.

"I...guess." Tahno contemplated the concept over. "My head wasn't exactly on straight while I was still

suicidal, and it was things outside the loss of my bending that drove me to the edge in the first place."

"_Do you still feel angry and betrayed by the fact that Mako didn't inform you of the information?" _Yue inquired.

"I feel a lot less so than I did before. Although I can't completely shake the feeling off," Tahno replied. He looked at the specter floating there, finding her to be very unearthly beautiful, with her long, white locks intricately set upon her head in her Northern Water Tribe headdress, and adorned in her royal garb. She truly was a princess—or _queen of the moon. _"Thanks for the advice. It's made me feel better at least." He smiled at her. "Can I say that I've always been fond of the moon—and that you're also a very gorgeous spirit?"

"_I appreciate your compliments," _Yue smiled serenely. "_Are you stable of mind enough to discuss another serious matter with me?" _

"Yeah," Tahno looked at her quizzically. "What...did you need to discuss?"

"_My real purpose in coming to see you," _Yue replied. The ex-bender stared at the Moon Spirit blankly.

"Real purpose?" Tahno echoed. "What's your real purpose for seeing me?" Before he could get a straight answer out of her, she disappeared. In her absence he heard the soft thudding of footsteps making their way down the length of the beach nearby.

"Kya told me about your breakdown." The ex-bender was staring at Mako as he approached. "She sent me this direction to get a few things cleared up with you."

"So—she filled you in on _everything _that's been going on, I take it," Tahno remarked.

"She told me that you're really stressed out by something you learned about recently. That you came out here to consult with the Moon Spirit to gain some peace of mind," Mako stopped two feet away from the ex- bender, just short of having the ocean's current run up against the tips of his shoes. "That, you...found out that Korra can—restore your waterbending."

"That's it exactly." There was a sudden edge in Tahno's voice. The anger he thought he'd managed to quell started to boil up again. He turned his gaze towards the firebender, his usually icy gaze taking on an arctic glare. "How could you keep that from me? I thought we were friends at least—so _why_, huh? Why keep secrets like that from me? Was it stupid for me to believe you were _really _concerned for me? Was it all just _an act_—have you been faking it _all this time_?"

"No—it wasn't stupid because I haven't been faking anything!" Mako snapped in response. "I came here to tell you that it wasn't all an act, that every word—every action I've made regarding you has been _real! _I was _genuinely _concerned when you told me about that ex-rival of yours—the bastard who raped you and left you for dead. When I comforted you while you were having your breakdown afterwards—do you think I'd go to those lengths if I weren't being _genuine _about that? And I _genuinely _wanted to help you turn your life around _because _I think of you as a friend! Hell, I even told you a few things I've never told my _own brother_!"

"Then why _couldn't you just tell me I could get my bending back?" _Tahno's eyes lost some of their icy glint as he stared desperately into the firebender's auburn eyes. He took a firm hold of Mako's shoulders, the desperation in his eyes pleading with the firebender for an answer.

"Because, well—because at first I didn't think you deserved to know!" Mako shouted back at him, startling the ex-bender a bit. Tahno looked like he was about to demand a further explanation, but Mako beat him to it. "At first...I thought you needed to _earn _the right to get your bending _back_—to even earn the right to know about it—because of your history in the arena. The cheating still got to me back then. That was back on the first day—right after I rescued you during your suicide attempt. As I got to know you, got to understand you better—I started questioning that. I wanted to tell you, but—I wasn't sure how you'd handle the news. You were suicidal still and deeply depressed—how could I expect you to handle the news while you were still in that state of mind? Especially when Korra's not here to restore it for you—and...there's a chance she might not even return."

"I thought Korra was on some _spiritual quest_, or something like that," Tahno stated. The firebender nodded soberly.

"We were attending a festival in the Southern Water Tribe to celebrate Korra's eighteenth birthday," Mako told him, calming down a bit. "A spirit attacked while we were attending it—bringing some of its friends along with it. What got the spirit to call off its destruction were the demands that it made with Korra. The spirit wanted Korra to meet up with it in the Spirit World to discuss a certain matter with it one on one, with no outside interferences. It said that it and some of the other spirits were sick and tired of watching the Avatar— past, present—abuse their talents, and it needed to discuss that matter with her. She agreed to its conditions, and...she hasn't been heard from since."

"Maybe she's gotten tied up with her affairs there, and she doesn't have a way to send word back to you and everyone else about how she's doing," Tahno stated. "Besides, if Korra _really _was in trouble—she's tough, that girl for sure can handle herself."

"Korra's tougher when she's using her bending, and her bending becomes irrelevant in the Spirit World—or so I've heard," Mako replied. "I got the feeling that's why the spirit summoned her there—Korra relies heavily on her bending, so she wouldn't have her best defenses there to back her up."

"Well, then—I've got nothing to say that'll make the situation better—sorry about that," Tahno removed his hands from the firebender's shoulders. "So—you really consider me a friend...and all the concern you've shown me these past few weeks has been genuine?"

"Yeah, it was real—all of it." Mako all of a sudden started feeling awkward. He walked a few paces until he reached the closest rocky outcropping on the beach and took a seat on a comfortable enough looking spot. "Hey, well—when I've had it, I've been spending my free time all afternoon thinking about my fears over Korra's absence and that _stunt _you pulled on me last night—"

Tahno swallowed nervously. "Y-yeah...that was my mistake. I-I guess it must've been disturbing for you to be kissed by another guy."

"It didn't disturb me _that much_. Admittedly, when I got around to thinking it over...it didn't surprisingly disturb me at all," Mako admitted sheepishly, his face flushing momentarily. "Actually...what I was going to say was that I—I wanted to ask you if it'd be okay for me to sleep with you tonight?"

"Sleep together...you mean like have sex or something?" Tahno was taken aback by the very concept.

"If that's what it'd take for me to stay with you tonight—yeah," Mako replied honestly.

"What about all that stuff you've said about Korra? How you love her and everything?" Tahno questioned him. "Wouldn't _sex _kind of contradict all you've been claiming?"

"I _do _love her—and none of it—whatever we could end up _doing _together will change that fact," Mako stated. "I just—_really _can't stand to be alone right now. I don't exactly want to ask Bolin about sharing a room—it'd be too awkward for the both of us at this age, and...I guess—I thought that might be what you'd demand to agree to go through with keeping me up in your room for the night."

"For the old me, those probably would've been my terms. The old me would've taken you up on that offer in a heartbeat and gotten aggressive with you as soon we hit the mattress," Tahno couldn't look the firebender's way as he continued talking. "After all the shit I've been through though—I'm not exactly the _old me _anymore, now am I? That damn experience practically turned me off to something I used to enjoy. Unlike the _old me_, the _current me _doesn't have the same kind of sexual desires the _old me _had. Hell—even with Ming...I had a hard time going there after the fact. I had a hard time...getting physical with him. I—after the fact—could only tolerate doing it one time with him."

"_Why didn't you ever tell me about that?" _Ming's voice echoed in the ex-bender's ear. "_I would've understood, man. I know how traumatizing that whole ordeal was for you." _

Tahno ignored him. He managed to turn his gaze in Mako's direction, icy blues catching shadowed honey- auburn hued irises under the ivory moon. "So—I don't know how I should respond to your request, Mako."

"I'd completely understand if you didn't want to make it about sex," Mako replied. "I...actually prefer it that way myself. I...I've never had sex with another guy, and...because of Korra—it's probably better if I kept it that way. If-if you're comfortable enough with it though—would you be okay with close, physical contact if it was just me lying beside you?"

"_Take him up on the offer," _Tahno heard Ming whisper in his ear. "_His presence will keep away all the spirits who wanna bug you at night—and it'll help you get some sleep in the process. The wear from the past few nights—hell, the past few weeks—from a lack of sleep are starting to show on your face." _

If it weren't for his fear of intimacy—or the constant reminder that the firebender was currently committed to the Avatar—he would've taken Mako up on his initial offer. But—that being the case, he was willing to settle with agreeing to what Ming was suggesting—taking what Mako was currently offering. In his mind, considering all those facts, in the end—it was probably better that way, he reasoned.

"If you can promise to keep yourself from being too touchy-feely through the night, I guess I could handle it," Tahno managed to reply.

"I'll be careful," Mako assured him. "Were you planning to continue your consultation with the Moon Spirit, or are you ready to head in for the night?"

"I think I'm done for the night," Tahno replied, glancing quickly at the perfect ivory oval hanging on the inky canvas that was the night sky. "Let's call it a night. I'm tired, and besides—your presence might help me get some better shuteye then I would without you around."

"Is...that your reason for accepting my offer?" Mako asked him.

"Yeah," Tahno responded. "Your presence might keep some pesky spirits at bay, so I can get some decent sleep. After you left last night...I—got bombarded by several other spirits other than your deceased father. Didn't sleep well because of it."

"Whatever works for you," Mako stated noncommittally.

"Hey, Mako—before we check in for the night, I—need to say something," Tahno said.

Mako stopped in midstride. "Yeah?"

"I just...if we're gonna share a bed, you're gonna need to know I'm not angry at you anymore—just so you know," Tahno told him.

Even in the dark, the ex-bender could see the smile that crossed Mako's face. "Are you coming or what?"

"Yeah." Before fast-pacing it to catch up with the firebender, Tahno took one last look up at the moon,

wondering '_what did you want to tell me?' _

Neither spoke as they made their way towards their quarters, and they spoke little while they got themselves situated for the night. The ex-bender laid on his side, listening to the firebender's soft breathing as he tried to get to sleep himself. Eventually, he did, and it was an uneventful and pleasant slumber.

XoXoX

Another week passed, and then another. There was no news of Korra's whereabouts, or the status of her mission with the spirits in the Spirit World.

Over those two weeks, Mako kept busy chasing down the Triads and arresting the perpetrators when he brought them down, Bolin was occupied trying to get his new Fire Ferret teammates in tip top shape for the upcoming tournament, and Asami kept room open in her daily schedule to get in her training sessions with Tahno while also keeping busy with Future Industries.

Besides that, Tahno had been keeping up with his one-on-one meditation sessions with Tenzin, getting something beneficial out of the lessons when it came to dealing with his daily exposure to the spirits and tempering him out some as well. He had infrequent encounters with the previous Avatar's departed friends—A session of criticisms directed his way from Toph while he and Asami were duking it out in the training arena, and a few instances where Avatar Aang's brother-in-law Sokka popped in to make a few quick quips and some very bad jokes. There was nothing from the previous Avatar himself however, although Tahno wasn't really expecting there to be.

When Mako had some free time from his work schedule and Tahno from his training sessions—they both hung out together around the island. Most of the time they would end up somewhere near the water of Yue Bay, sitting on the beach or a convenient outcropping and looking out at the city or sea, or occasionally walking in the water itself. Unbeknownst to Tahno, the exposure to the water was therapeutic for him; bringing him to be more at ease around the element he currently had no control over.

While they hung out, Tahno let Mako rant anytime he had an overbearing, mentally and physically taxing day on the job, and Mako lent his ear and some occasional advice anytime Tahno had gripes over numerous visits from various annoying spirits. Outside the daily gripes or rants, they talked about mundane things and the occasional personal facts.

Mako occasionally would ask the ex-bender if he had heard anything from or about Korra. Tahno would answer with the same response: no. She either was thankfully still alive, or her spirit was forever trapped in the Spirit World. Mako wouldn't come out and blatantly say it, but Tahno suspected Mako thought something might have happened to Korra that he might've heard about—something bad. But fortunately— or unfortunately depending on how it was perceived—Tahno heard nary a thing about Korra.

At night, the two of them had kept up intervals of sharing Tahno's room and Mako settling into his own for the night. After a few nights, the ex-bender began to suspect that the reason behind why the firebender had proposed the arrangement in the first place was because Mako got the feeling that Korra might have died, and that she would eventually come to visit the ex-bender. Tahno never got that lucky—or, in his mind, unlucky—enough to run into the young Avatar's spirit, and it kept Mako holding on to a string of hope that she was still alive.

As time passed, Tahno had grown more comfortable in the firebender's presence, and Mako was coming to appreciate the ex-bender's company more and more. Neither would have predicted it at all in the beginning, but the two had formed an unexpected friendship with one another. Tahno hadn't known it consciously, but he'd needed somebody to relate to while he was on the island, and Mako needed another friend in his life— considering he didn't have too many solid friendships outside his brother, his two current and former romantic relationships, and those he'd formed at his current profession. It was kind of nice for the firebender to have somebody closer to his own age to relate more to that wasn't family, a girlfriend or something job- related.

XoXoX

"You've really improved," Asami commented as she reached for a towel to wipe her face off with. Her usually well-kept hair was pulled back and sweat entrenched, and she was lightly panting.

"You make it easy to learn the moves, babe," Tahno replied, grinning. He too reached for a towel to wipe off with while catching his own breath. Sweat ran down his face and neck in rivulets, his drenched dark locks sticking to the side of his face.

"Keep it up, and you'll be an expert in no time," Asami told him. "I'm going to go fetch something to drink. Need something while I'm running?"

"Some water would be great," Tahno replied.

"You're not going to avoid it because you can't bend it?" Asami joked. He gave her a crooked grin.

"Someday soon, I'll be back to doing that—so why should I shy away from something I've got a natural affinity for?" Tahno replied lightheartedly. She laughed.

"I'll be right back with your water, pretty boy," Asami told him, heading off. In the meantime, he took to doing some stretching. He'd twisted something during one particular move, and now was his chance to unknot it.

"Soon, somebody's going to approach you two with some news that's going to leave Miss Sato rather...unsettled." Tahno did an instant one-eighty when he heard the vaguely familiar voice speak up.

He came face to face with a man who was obviously of water tribe descent—which one, he didn't know. The man's face placed him in his mid-thirties to forties, his attire placed him as a high-ranking individual of some order. The man's dark, long hair was pulled back behind his head in three segments, and ran well past his shoulders.

"Should I know who you are?" Tahno questioned the water tribe spirit, eying him particularly. "Something about you seems, I don't know...familiar."

"Councilman Tarrlok," The specter informed him impatiently. "You should know me; I used to be on the city council before my brother tore it apart during his campaign."

"Brother?" Tahno stared at him blankly, making a startling realization. "Wait—are you saying that crazy maniac calling himself Amon, the one who stole my bending—he's your _brother?_"

"He's now dead," Tarrlok assured him. "As I'm sure by now you've also noticed that I am as well."

"That's a relief at least," Tahno stated, an instant later retracting that thought. "On second thought—maybe not such a good thing. If you can come around and bug me...there's a strong chance that he might—" he shuddered. "I don't even want to think about that."

"Let's get back to the topic at hand," Tarrlok insisted impatiently. "There was a break-in at the high security prison recently, and—" Before the councilman's apparition could finish his thought verbally, the sound of footsteps approaching could be heard. A moment later, Asami was standing there, two glasses of water in hand.

"Your water," Asami handed one glass over to him. He hesitated to take it, in a seeming daze. "Hey, Tahno—are you there? Hello?" He snapped out of his trance and grabbed for the glass.

"Thanks," Tahno replied simply.

"Did you have a spirit visit you while I was gone?" Asami asked him. "The look in your eyes suggests that you saw a ghost."

"Huh? Yeah—ex-Councilman Tarrlok paid me an unexpected visit," Tahno replied, still sounding half-dazed.

"Ex-Councilman Tarrlock's—dead?" Asami looked perplexed. "From what I'd heard, he just disappeared. There was never mention of a body turning up."

"Yeah—the guy confirmed it for me," Tahno told her. "Did you know that he and Amon were _brothers?" _

"Korra told me about it after the invasion. She found out during a confrontation with Tarrlok that she had

before she dealt with Amon," Asami informed him.

"Well—Tarrlok confirmed that Amon's also dead. I'm not sure if I'm relieved by that fact, or feel dread over it," Tahno told her. He recalled again that the ex-Councilman's spirit had come to him with a purpose. "Oh, yeah—Tarrlok was saying something about somebody approaching us with news about a prison break-in, and that something about that fact will leave you unsettled."

"Huh, I wonder what the ex-Councilman could mean by that—" Asami's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. The two looked up and over in the direction they were originating, seeing that it was Tenzin and Mako, and both looked serious.

"Hey—something up?" Tahno shouted while they grew closer.

"Yes—startling news just reached my attention," Tenzin replied. "Do you think we could take this indoors? I believe Miss Sato is going to need to be seated before I inform you both of what's happened."

"Whatever makes you more comfortable, Tenzin," Asami said.

They made their way towards the more private residence of the airbender and his family, gathering around the main living space before addressing the matter at hand.

"What'd you drag us in here to tell us?" Tahno got right to the point.

Mako stepped up. "Somehow, someone has managed a prison break," he began saying, glancing over at Asami in particular before he continued. "—And...in the process...Hiroshi Sato escaped."

"My father..." Asami's green irises looked small against the whites of her shocked, wide-eyed stare. She immediately plopped into the chair she luckily happened to be conveniently standing in front of beforehand. "When? Did they get a reason why? Anything on what he's planning to do now that he's a fugitive?"

"The officials that reported this to me didn't have much information," Tenzin told her gravely. "They mentioned that he had been babbling to himself incoherently for the past couple months, but they couldn't make any sense out of his gibberish. They just figured he was going crazy during his confinement until the jail-break."

"He doesn't hope to take the business away from me, I hope," Asami's voice was shaky.

"Asami—we're going to keep officials posted around Future Industries at all times, and have everyone be on the lookout for Hiroshi to make sure that he doesn't manage a hostile takeover," Mako assured her. "My superior assured me that he was going to make it a top priority to be on the lookout for Hiroshi. In fact, the whole city's abuzz with the news. Hiroshi's a wanted man—and everyone's very aware of the reason why."

"That makes me feel somewhat better, at least," Asami replied.

"If you ever feel your safety is in question, you're more than welcome to come stay on Air Temple Island, Miss Sato," Tenzin informed her. "Your old quarters are still set up if you ever feel you need them."

"I really appreciate that," Asami told him gratefully. "For the time being, I'll try to stay put in my home and deal with things as they come. I've got to keep Future Industries up and running, and I can't hide from my responsibilities, even if my father's a possible looming threat. I took self-defense lessons for a reason— although I never believed I'd have to possibly use them against my own father."

"Asami, would you be up to heading out to eat somewhere on your way home?" Mako asked her. "I'm going to personally escort you so you don't make the trip home alone, and thought I'd offer."

"Do you mean just you and me Mako?" Asami asked him. "I don't think right now's a good time to rekindle what's already been lost between us."

"I was thinking that Tahno could go with us," Mako told her. "He's been cooped up on this island for a while, and it might be a good idea for him to get off this island for a while and enjoy some mainland activities."

"If pretty boy's coming along—I'll be more than happy to go with," Asami smiled sweetly in the ex-bender's direction.

"I guess I'll go with to keep the peace," Tahno gave in. "I warn you though—no ex-lovers spats. I don't really need to hear it from the two of you."

"The ferry will be coming in shortly, so you three should probably head out if you're planning to," Tenzin spoke up. "I'll speak with the council and Lin about gathering more info on Hiroshi's motives and whereabouts, so take this time to enjoy yourselves. If Hiroshi intends to cause some major damage, you might not have time to do it later."

"Should we invite Bolin?" Asami suggested.

"He's busy at the arena training the new Fire Ferrets," Mako told her. "But I'll invite him along if we run into him."

"Let's get going if we're going to do this," Tahno spoke up impatiently. The other two looked at him amusingly.

"Anxious for a chance to bolt for it once we reach shore, eh?" Mako asked him, half jesting.

"No—I'm just getting bored standing around here making small talk like this," Tahno responded a little irritably.

"Let's get going then," Mako replied, stifling a grin. "The hour's getting late, and we don't know how much longer we're going to have before something comes along and interrupts our plans."

XoXoX

Once they reached the opposite shore, Asami had the three of them picked up by her chauffer. Once the three were shown in to her residence, it was at her insistence—more a requirement of hers really—that the two boys take the time to bathe and clean up before they left the grounds of her estate. Asami hung around especially close to Tahno while he was cleaning up, much to his chagrin.

"It's about time we did something with that hair," Asami told him. "You used to put so much pride into its appearance, but you've let it go dull and lifeless. I've got a few useful techniques that could help you give it back that former bounce."

"I relied on my bending to give it that bounce—what could you possibly show me that's conventional that'll work the same way?" Tahno exclaimed. She rested her hands on her hips and gave him a particular look.

"Excuse me—haven't you ever noticed the bounce in _my hair _when I toss it around, pretty boy?" Asami shook her head. "I know what your hair needs—and it won't require an iota of waterbending to achieve the same effects."

She personally tackled his grooming—hair and all, not trusting anyone—including the ex-bender—to handle it. This was her mission, and—in spirits name—she was going to make it right. The only thing she allowed him was his actual shower time and getting dressed on his own with some privacy—which she allowed him only after he threatened to walk out the door if she dare stay there watching him while he changed.

Mako came out of it looking like a cleaner version of his usual self. He waited around while the other two tackled whatever problem they happened to be busy with. He couldn't even conjure what could be taking them so long in his mind, but he was getting a little impatient.

"If it's even for just one night—I'd like you to look and feel like your old self." Mako heard Asami's voice echoing off the walls, originating from somewhere down the hall.

"You didn't have to go to the length of also adding the eyeliner! The hair was enough!" He heard Tahno shouting back at her. Mako raised an eyebrow.

"You have nice, dark lashes that only needed to be accentuated a little bit to bring it close to the original look," Asami argued.

"Maybe I didn't want to bring that much of the original look back!" Tahno shot back. Mako watched as the two finally emerged, making their way down the staircase from the second story.

It was like the rewind button on time had been hit. From Mako's perspective, the ex-bender's hair was just like he remembered it before he let it go after Amon's attack on him and his teammates. The illumination from nearby artificial lighting gave it a glossy sheen, and the waves of his longish dark locks had volume and bounce to them. The former waterbender also had his pale, ice hued eyes intensified with a dark lining around the borders. Asami had even managed to garb him in attire strikingly similar to what he used to wear. The only thing that threw off the look from being the original was Tahno's perturbed expression.

"You look like your old self," Mako commented as the other two finally closed the space between them. Tahno rolled his eyes and pursed his lips.

"Let's just get going," Tahno remarked irritably. "I'm hungry, and it's been a while since I've been in the city."

"Okay, pretty boy—let me call my chauffer and we'll be on our way," Asami told him, her tone mildly playful. She looked to Mako quickly, and winked at him.

The firebender was clueless as to what the expression meant.

XoXoX

Mako settled on something familiar, insisting on the chauffer dropping them off in front of Narook's Noodle Shop. He knew Tahno was familiar with the establishment, and there wasn't much about the place for Asami to complain about—besides it being out of her expected element. The place was pretty quiet, the hour too early for the usual primetime crowd. The trio found a table to sit at easily, and their orders were taken before they had a chance to breathe.

As the server walked off, Asami smiled and pulled her wallet from the lining of her jacket. "Don't worry boys—dinner's on me."

"You don't have to do that, Asami," Mako protested. She shook her head.

"It's for watching my back while my father's on the loose," Asami replied. "And I've got more than enough to cover it."

"Hey Tahno—haven't seen you around for a while," a causal male passerby commented as he did a double take before stopping at their table. "Did'ja get your bending back? Your hair's looking just like it used to."

"No—I didn't get my bending back," Tahno replied through clenched teeth. "It's called product. Nonbenders use it to give their hair that...extra volume."

"Whatever you've done—it's nice to see you back to your old self," The guy commented. "It's too bad about the bending though. Tournament's just getting started, and you were quite something up there."

"Even if I had it back—I wouldn't go back to that life," Tahno replied, relaxing his agitation somewhat. "Besides, it kinda requires a full team, and Ming's not around to fill that slot."

"I heard about his death," the guy replied sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear about it."

"Yeah—I was too," Tahno stated.

"Gotta go—the girlfriend's calling," the guy stated. "Glad to see you're still around Tahno! After hearing that you'd committed suicide, I thought you were really gone!" He waved before he took off.

"Friend?" Mako inquired.

"An old Wolfbats fanboy," Tahno replied. "I guess there's still a few of those around."

"See? The product works," Asami stated rather proudly. The ex-bender just rolled his eyes in response.

About ten minutes later their orders were served. The trio made small talk, but mostly stuck to eating their food without choking it down, figurative or literally speaking. When they were done, Asami handled the tab like she promised. By the time the three of them were back to walking the streets of Republic City, the sun was setting.

"My driver should be here soon. Did you guys want a ride back to the water, or were you planning on walking?" Asami asked them.

"I'd like to stop by my old apartment—see if my stuff's still there," Tahno spoke before Mako could get his voice in. "I'd prefer to make the trek by foot. Are you gonna go with pretty Miss Sato, Mako—or are you coming with me?"

"Sorry, Asami—I guess I'm gonna have to call it a night," Mako told her sincerely. "Wherever you're going, Tahno—I'm coming with."

"I guess I'll see you two tomorrow then," Asami said, smiling. Her chauffer pulled up to the curb beside them just then, the driver propping the door open for her to get in. "Later, boys—and be careful out there. The city's kind of dangerous when the sun goes down."

"I'm well aware of that fact, Asami," Mako replied, cracking a grin. "Goodnight Asami, and have a safe trip back home."

"Yeah, see ya—babe," Tahno added before she closed the door. She waved to show she acknowledged it, and the two watched as the Satomobile pulled away from the curb and headed on its way.

"So—which way to your apartment?" Mako asked him when the two were alone.

"I'll lead the way, Fireboy, so just follow me—and you won't get lost," Tahno lightly teased him. Mako got that the ex-bender was just playing with him, and smiled in response.

"Lead the way then, pretty boy," Mako served it back to the ex-bender. Tahno stared at him blankly for a moment, and then burst out laughing.


	7. Chapter 7

"Looks like everything's still in order," Tahno noted, searching the door panel for something. He smiled, satisfied, as his fingers ran across an inconsistency in the wood. He pulled at the fragment, revealing a false compartment with a key inside. He removed it from its slot and slid it into the keyhole. The lock clicked, and the door swung open freely.

On the other side of the door, the lighting was dimmed, illuminated only by candlelight. Right in the middle of the accumulation of illumination, the Wolfbats ex-firebender had his arms wrapped around the waist of a pretty, dark-haired girl garbed in Earth Kingdom attire. There existed no gap between their faces as the two were connected at the lips.

"Shaozu, did you miss me even a little?" Tahno's tone broke his teammate from his embrace with the girl. Both shifted their position, blushing and appearing like a young child who looked guilty after being caught throwing stones at turtleducks.

"Tahno? I-I thought that you committed suicide a few weeks back. That they fished your body out of the river or something," Shaozu exclaimed, immensely flustered.

"I did jump in the river, but this guy fished me out before I drowned," Tahno replied, indicating Mako in the process. "I've been staying on Air Temple Island the last month or so, healing physically and mentally."

"Isn't he the firebender from the Fire Ferrets?" Shaozu asked, eying Mako.

"Yeah, his name's Mako," Tahno pointed out. "Anyways, I stopped in to grab a few of my things. The room I've been staying in is devoid of my personal effects, and I'd like to change it up a little. Plus—it'd be nice to have a few things from my wardrobe to wear while I'm staying there."

"Were you planning to come back?" Shaozu asked him. "It been quiet around here since you left, and well—Ming…died. I miss having some life in this place. I miss you guys."

"Right now, Shao—I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. For now…I know my place is on Air Temple Island. In the future…I'll figure it out when I get to that point," Tahno told him. "Please tell me my stuff's still where I left it."

"Yeah, I haven't bothered to touch it," Shaozu replied. "Something in my gut told me not to mess with your stuff, even though I thought you were gone for good. It should be the way you left it, as well as Ming's."

"Good," Tahno sighed in relief. "Mako—up for helping me carry a few things?"

"As long as it isn't your entire closet," Mako warned. The former waterbender cracked a grin.

"I assure you, it'll only be a few things," Tahno told him. "I'm not interested in lugging a bunch of stuff back with me right now."

"Thankfully," Mako commented. "Well, it's your place, so lead the way."

"Tahno, really—it's good to see you're doing well," Shaozu shouted as they headed down the narrow hall leading to the former waterbender's room. "I know you were suffering pretty badly after Ming hanged himself, and it sucked that you were so miserable and there wasn't anything I could do. Because of that I was completely devastated when I heard you'd jumped and I thought you were gone like Ming. And, I gotta say—it's nice to see you're looking more like your old self."

"Did you ever tell him about your assault?" Mako asked in a hushed voice.

"No, I could never bring myself to tell him for some reason," Tahno explained in a lowered tone. "He knew about Ming and me, but I didn't know how he'd take it if he found out that one of our former rivals took it out on me like that. When I first went through the ordeal, I just explained to him that some guys took it out on me really roughly—beat the crap out of me for our cheating in the arena. He seemed to buy that explanation. The fact that I got the crap beat out of me on multiple other occasions helped validate that claim."

Mako didn't add to that, his lips instead pressed tightly together, his expression pensive.

"I'm just gonna throw a few things into this bag here," Tahno indicated a shoulder bag sitting off in the corner. Mako looked around the room, noting how clean and organized it appeared. The floor was clutter-free, the shelves lined with decently proportionate amounts of stuff. Some built-in shelving housed a neatly stacked collection of books, many of which appeared to be water-themed. Tahno grabbed a few titles off the shelf and shoved them in the bag.

"Mementos I got from my mom a long time ago—when we still communicated with one another," Tahno noted about the two books he'd thrown in the bag. "Me and the old man never really got along; I didn't turn out like he'd wanted me to. I wasn't the earthbender he'd wanted."

"Is your waterbending from your mother's side then?" Mako asked, watching the ex-bender fold up a few articles of clothing before shoving them into the bag as well.

"Yeah—she came to Republic City a long time ago from the Swamps. She felt that the swamp life wasn't for her; she wanted something more, something civilized—like city living." Tahno laughed derisively. "Civilized, Pfft. Oh so civilized when you get the likes of the bending triads, Amon, the Equalists, and my father caught up in the mix."

"You didn't seem to believe that when you were living the high life," Mako pointed out to him.

Tahno looked at him, smiling ironically. "Oh—I've always believed it. I just went along for the ride while the going's good." He picked up a few random items—a couple framed photos, a pair of shoes, a small yellowing bound notebook. He stuck them in the bag along with everything else. He eyed a jacket hanging on a hook behind the door, a jacket that looked like the one he used to wear during his probender days. "Hey—you think you could grab that?" He pointed to the jacket. "It means something to me, and I don't want it getting wrinkled in the bag."

"The one hanging on the back of the door?" Mako asked him. The ex-bender nodded.

"Yeah, that one." Tahno began surveying the room before throwing the bag over his shoulder.

"I think that's it for now," he told him. "We can head out now."

"So—who's the girl your friend Shaozu was getting comfy with when we arrived?" Mako inquired.

"A girl he fell in love with that helped him get over his _debending_ issues—even managed to convince him he didn't miss it," Tahno explained. "Of the three of us, he was the one who fared the best. I guess he was never the biggest fan of his bending—or something." Offhandedly, he added, "Oh—and I think the girl's name is Mei Ling or something like that. I never bothered to get to know her very well. I was pretty out of it most of the time." He passed through the door of his room, heading back the way he came, with Mako following right behind him.

"_Before you leave Shaozu—can you tell him I said hi?" _Ming's voice echoed in Tahno's ear as he closed the gap between the main living space and the hall leading to their bedrooms.Tahno didn't reply to his deceased friend's request as he entered the living space again. Shaozu and the girl were still there, although they weren't being quite as _cozy_ with each other as they were earlier.

"Heading out again?" There was some disappointment in Shaozu's voice, even though he was smiling at his friend. Tahno nodded.

"Yeah—the hour's getting late, and it's treacherous traveling back to the island late at night." Tahno looked to his hands, letting silence settle in. "Um, Shao—Ming told me to tell you he said hi."

"Did he tell you to say that the night before he kicked it?" Shaozu asked, somewhat humored.

"Actually—he told me to tell you only a couple minutes ago," Tahno clarified. Shaozu looked at his friend like he'd lost it.

"Um, Tahno—you _do_ realize that Ming's dead, right?" Shaozu bothered to remind him.

Tahno let slip a sneaky smile. "Yeah…I'm just capable of communicating with spirits." Shaozu looked from his friend towards the former Fire Ferrets firebender, as if wordlessly seeking an explanation from him.

"He's telling the truth," Mako confirmed. "Your friend Tahno here can see and talk to spirits."

"Uh…" Shaozu was at a complete loss for words.

"_Tell him I saw him getting hot n' heavy with that girlfriend of his last night on the kitchen counter," _Ming whispered mischievously into Tahno's ear. The former waterbender looked over at the counter with an eyebrow raised.

"Ming insists that you two ruined the kitchen countertop by getting down and dirty on it last night," Tahno informed his former teammate. "We prepared food on those counters! How could you guys have sex up there like that? Ugh!" The former firebender and his girlfriend both turned a deep shade of red.

"I-I'll make sure to get those countertops replaced," Shaozu stammered. "Mei Lin's father owns a successful home furnishing business, and he hires some of the best earthbending craftspeople in his kitchenware department—so I'm sure he'd be okay getting someone in here. He can get in some new counters really quick for really cheap. He—" He stopped, his eyes widening. "Ugh, you weren't joshing me when you said you could talk to Ming. That sounds like the kinda thing he'd use for proof of his existence." He made a face. "Can you tell him I miss him, and that I'm doing okay? I'd be grateful if you did that for me."

"_Tell him I hear him—and that I'm glad he's doing well,"_ Ming whispered in Tahno's ear again.

"I hate being the mediator in some kind of spirit chat, but—Ming says that he heard you, and he's glad you're doing okay," Tahno relayed the message. "I've got to get going. Hey, if you ever really do miss me, Shao—just drop by Air Temple Island. There are times where I can use the visitors."

"I'll try to get out there sometime, Tahno," Shaozu promised. "Have a safe trip back."

"Thanks," Tahno replied quickly. He turned to Mako. "Ready to head?"

"Was whenever you were," Mako stated.

Tahno turned the doorknob and pulled it open. "Then let's get going."

XoXoX

By the time the two were exiting the apartment complex and returning to the street, the sky had taken on an evening eggplant purple, and the city lights lining the streets were on and lighting the way in their amber ambiance.

"Any more stops you want to make while we're in the city, or did you want to head straight for the water?" Mako asked as they began their trek.

"I think I'd like to take a stroll down to the bayside where you can get a good view of the probending arena," Tahno told him. "It's been a while, and I kinda want to see it—for memory's sake."

"Sounds fine to me," Mako replied. "We might run into Bo along the way."

"Yeah," was all that Tahno added before they continued in silence.

They passed through the park on their way, the walkways nearly empty with only a few passersby crossing their path here and there. They eventually exited the park and made their way through the downtown district, an area known to be active during both the day and night for very different reasons. As night was approaching, it wasn't one of the best districts to be in.

The Triple Threat Triad's presence had been devastated during Amon's campaign, so their influence wasn't near as prevalent as it once had been. But that had left room open for other criminal organizations, as well as random petty thieves and those operating solely on their own accord.

Besides the criminal activity that set the night apart from the day as a different _animal_ entirely, the nighttime was known for displaying the rowdier aspects of the city's citizens themselves. It ranged from brawling between a few individuals that had dipped too deeply into their tankards for their own good to a few souls a little too willing to express aggression they normally wouldn't show by the light of the day.

Mako and Tahno passed by a couple drunkards who were arguing amongst themselves as they approached a part of the district that ran nearer to the water. The main path that usually would lead them from there to the bay was blocked up by some kind of traffic jam that appeared to be the result of some conflict coming from down the way and out of sight. The sounds of arguing, horns and physical hostility were the only indicators to what the cause might be.

That led them to taking a shortcut through a narrower and less traffic intensive alleyway. Both noted that the way was dark and sort of dingy as Mako resorted to lighting the way with his firebending.

"I'm a little surprised to see that you're still alive—_Tahno._" A masculine voice sneered. "I'd heard that you committed suicide." A man emerged from the shadows coming from the direction they were heading, a few others with him. "After what you and your teammates did to my brother in the probending arena—you'd have been better off that way."

"Your brother should be thankful he didn't get made a spectacle of by the Amon in the arena like I was," Tahno remarked. "Yeah, I know that one of my illegal moves made your brother's life more difficult—"

"Difficult? The move disabled his whole right arm, making it harder for him to tackle every day tasks—let alone his ability to earthbend!" The man retorted; his dark emerald eyes narrowed to slits under loose dark locks that partially obscured them. "He's young, and had so much going for him. Now he's limited to running messages back and forth as an errand boy."

"Is this the guy that—" Mako whispered into the ex-bender's ear. Tahno shook his head.

"No, he's just Taki—the older brother of an earthbender from another former rival team of the Wolfbats," Tahno answered back in a whisper. In a louder voice he addressed the green-eyed man with the long dark hair. "Taki—you told me all this the last time you _confronted_ me about it on the streets, and I regret that I pulled those moves on your brother now, but I can't exactly go back in time and fix them."

"No matter how many times you try to apologize, it doesn't take away from my urge to punch in your pretty little face—you queer little prick," Taki snarled. "I don't care that you've lost your bending; I _still _want to return what you dished out to my little bro tenfold. Break an arm, a leg—in a way that so if you ever do get your waterbending back…it'll make it more difficult for you to use it."

"Hey, you don't have to resort to making threats like that!" Mako spoke up, shooting it in Taki's direction.

"You're from the Fire Ferrets, right?" Taki addressed him. Mako nodded. "Why would you defend scum like him? He did your team a number up there, if I recall it right."

"Yeah—but it's just a sport, and it's all in the past," Mako shot back. "Plus—I'm not about to let you threaten bodily harm against a friend of mine and shrug it off just like that." The green-eyed Taki smiled derisively.

"Friend? Pfft. Fire Ferret, step outta the way if you know what's good for ya," Taki growled at the firebender. "This is just between me and that pretty-faced queer boy beside you."

"What makes you so certain that Tahno's queer?" Mako questioned Taki. "And if he was—so what?"

"_Everyone_ knows that he was fucking that teammate of his, Ming," Taki responded coolly. "When the authorities discovered his_ friend_ hanging on a rope, I heard he was there on his knees—wailing like he'd lost a lover from the sounds of it. Plus, that _friend_ of his, Ming—he'd had an odd stance with his earthbending all season from the looks of it. Like that queer little prick was giving it to him up the ass, if you get what I'm saying. Figured the two resorted to cheating to cover that fact up." He grinned snidely at Mako. "You wanna know what's wrong with that particular prick by your side being _queer—_Fire Ferret? The fact that those two would resort to cheating to cover up their dirty little secret—that's part of it. Another part? There's a couple actually. The thought of those two going at it like a couple animals with each other—that image leaves my stomach churning. Then there's also the fact that they had all those fangirls deceived. Those fangirls wouldn't be so attached to the two of them if they knew the two guys they adored so much were fucking each other—now would they?"

"Hey—don't even talk about Ming like that, you bastard!" Tahno spoke up angrily. "Yeah—Ming and I had a thing. And, for your information, you idiot—we didn't _go at it_ like animals! What Ming and me had, it wasn't just something physical—I _loved him_! Plus—none of that has anything to do with what happened to your brother. My cheating is what did damage to him—so stop trying to make it out like my relationship with Ming is what hurt your brother!"

"So—you openly admit that you and he had a thing?" Taki smirked. "You're just making this even more fun for me. C'mon pretty boy, show me that you can fight better than the last pathetic excuse for a confrontation we had." He took a stance, elevating the cobblestones of the alleyway floor at his command. Mako took a defensive firebending stance, but Tahno motioned for him to stand down.

"This is my fight," Tahno informed him. "My chance to prove myself. If you get involved—you'll only get caught up in my mess, and I wouldn't get the chance to put what I've learned to good use. Plus—I don't want to see you end up hurt because you got caught in _my mess._ The Avatar would be pissed off with me if I allowed that to happen." He looked at him directly. "Could you take this for me? It'll just get in my way." He held up his shoulder bag, holding it out to the firebender. Mako took it without protest. The ex-bender got set up in a fighting stance. He then gave the firebender a side grin. "Besides—you're the one who wanted me to take those lessons so I could defend _myself_, remember?"

"Are you gonna just stand there talking with the Fire Ferret, or are ya gonna put up a fight?" Taki attempted to provoke the ex-bender. "Show me that there's an actual man in there somewhere behind your styled hair and eyeliner."

"I'll show you that I'm more of a man than you ever were," Tahno hissed as he made his move. He eased out of range of the green-eyed man's earthbending maneuver as Taki launched the cobblestones in the ex-bender's original direction.

Taki began another round, bringing up another cluster of earth and bricks at his willing. He played it decisively, watching the former waterbender's moves—targeting him when he thought he had him in his sights for certain. Tahno managed to duck from the_ earthy_ advance just in time to prevent it from clobbering him in the face.

The ex-bender chose his own plays more decisively, watching for the green-eyed earthbender's weaknesses as he continuously darted and dodged Taki's attacks. When the right opportunity came, Tahno knew it was the right moment to make his own move.

Before Taki had a chance to launch another assault in Tahno's new location, the ex-bender knew this was the right opportunity to get in close and make his strike. While the green-eyed earthbender was distracted preparing his next earthbending maneuver, the ex-bender was on the move, getting inside the earthbender's physical comfort zone.

The ex-bender stopped long enough to _enlighten_ Taki with information about his next move. "This is a little something pretty Miss Asami Sato taught me how to do."

He smirked before making a couple quick, sharp jabs along vital pressure points at both of the earthbender's shoulders. Taki gasped as his arms suddenly fell limp to his sides. His shock made it easy for Tahno to take full advantage of him, sweeping the earthbender's feet out from under him with a quick maneuver using one of his own. Taki made an awkward descent to the cobblestoned alley floor, and found he faced an uphill battle trying to get back up. His two friends had to help prop him upright into a sitting position.

"She said it was the quickest way to disarm a bender of their abilities," Tahno informed him, smirking as he stood over the downed green-eyed Taki. "I could've resorted to some _very special _moves she showed me how to use, but this one's the best for it's quick effectiveness in bringing an aggravating opponent down. The most effective form of Chi Blocking out there."

"You—actually know the likes of Miss Sato?" Taki rasped with his eyes widened.

"Yeah—she happens to be a friend of mine," Tahno informed him with enlightened satisfaction. "Let all the guys holding a grudge with me out there still know that I'm not going to take their threats lying down any longer. I'm not going to be a victim anymore; I've taken more than enough punishment for what I did in the arena—and I'm not going to take any more of anyone's shit over it. It's done, it's over—tell them to _get over it._" He kicked some loosened cobblestone at the fallen earthbender, managing to strike Taki in the face with one pebble. "And, for the record—" He looked down at the earthbender with a very devilish smirk. "Miss Sato's a _very_ good kisser."

The ex-bender casually walked away from Taki and his friends, feeling a sense of rejuvenation rush over him. Mako pulled up beside him as the ex-bender continued his trek down the alleyway towards the water.

"Nice takedown back there," Mako commented. "Aren't you glad you got those sessions in with Asami?"

"Yeah—I should thank you for suggesting those," Tahno stopped to face the firebender. "Thanks for that—Mako." He smiled genuinely. The firebender returned the expression.

"No problem," Mako replied. A thought occurred to him. "Hey—what was that about you and Asami kissing back there?"

"She restrained me with my arms behind my back and laid one on me during our fourth self-defense session," Tahno informed him. "It was more her idea than mine. I wasn't exactly comfortable with the move, because of the fact that—she had more control over me than I liked." He leaned in closer to the firebender's ear, adding, "She was good, but _you_ were better." He smiled secretively as he created a comfortable distance between he and the firebender once more.

Before Mako could make a flustered response, they heard loud, aggressive shouting coming from the direction they'd just come from. One of Taki's friends was set in a charge in their direction, fiery fury in his eyes. It ceased when a wall of cobblestone and earth rose up to stop him in mid-charge.

"I didn't know you guys were going to be in the city," Bolin stated as he approached from the direction they were heading. "I heard voices, and thought they sounded vaguely familiar." He looked over at the earthen wall he'd just created. "What was that dude's deal? It looked like he had a grudge with you he needed to settle."

"He's a friend of someone we just tackled back there," Mako replied, indicating the stretch of alley they'd passed through.

"They sure like to pick random fights this time of night, don't they?" Bolin mused, lowering the earthen wall to reveal the guy who'd been knocked out while making a harsh impact with it a moment before.

"Not so random—their leader had something out for me," Tahno stated. "An earthbender with a silly grudge. I took care of him though."

"Putting Asami's moves to good use, huh?" Bolin noted with amusement. "Hey—you guys heading back to Air Temple Island? That's where I was heading until I heard you guys' voices."

"Yeah, actually—we were just heading that way before we had to deal with that little confrontation," Mako informed him. "Tahno wanted to get a view of the probending arena before we head out first though."

"I just came from that direction, but I'm more than happy to reverse course and head by there again," Bolin responded with a smile.

"Let's get outta here before it gets too late," Tahno spoke up. "I want to get outta here before another former rival of mine decides to greet me on the street like that last guy."

XoXoX

The trek back had been a long and tiring one, one that the three hardly acknowledged as the boat pulled ashore by the pier on Air Temple Island. The two brothers and the ex-bender were exhausted from the walk and the overall day, so their trip up to their quarters was, for the most part, rather quiet.

"Well, I guess this is where the three of us part ways and call it a night," Bolin yawned. "I hope they manage to track down Hiroshi's location soon. What he did to Asami was uncalled for." On their trek back to the shore, Mako had filled his brother in on the situation involving Hiroshi's jailbreak. Bolin had already heard about it from one of the referees talking about it.

"You and me both, Bo. Especially if he's planning to do a hostile takeover of Future Industries," Mako replied. "Get some sleep Bo, I'll see you in the morning."

Bolin waved his hand in the air casually as he made his way down the hall towards his room. Meanwhile, the other two stood there silently, not moving.

"So—would you be up to having me camped out in your room again tonight, or would you rather we parted ways right here, right now?" Mako broke the silence, his attention on the ex-bender.

"Actually, I just want the room to myself tonight," Tahno informed him. "Mako—I know the reason you keep doing this is because you think the Avatar's going to come to me—and I'll be the only one who'll be able to see and speak to Korra. I know you think something bad's happened to her, but you need to relax about that—Korra's a tough chick who can handle herself, and I'm pretty sure she's still alive and kicking out there somewhere. She's probably just tied up with her Avatar duties or whatever."

"I was that obvious about it?" Mako exclaimed. The ex-bender nodded.

"More than obvious," Tahno informed him. "I appreciate the company, but—I just want the place to myself tonight. I don't think tonight's gonna be an exception over any from the last few weeks."

"Okay," Mako said simply. "Well—get a good night's sleep, and here—" He handed the ex-bender his jacket and bag that he'd almost neglected to give back to him. "I think you might want to take these with you." The former waterbender took them off the firebender's hands. "I'll—see you in the morning."

"Night," Tahno took his stuff and headed off without another word. Mako hesitated to move, before he too made his way.

"_I was starting to think you were beginning to really like having the firebender close, so why'd you turn him down—regardless of his intentions?_" Ming's voice echoed in the ex-bender's ear.

"It's not going to go anywhere, Ming—so I don't want to bother pursuing it," Tahno calmly replied to his invisible spectral _boyfriend_. "Plus—I need my space tonight. I don't know why exactly, but—I wanted the room to myself tonight."

"If that's how you want it, okay," Ming mused, becoming semi-transparent by the ex-bender's side. "Maybe I'll just hang around you tonight—find ways to arouse you spectrally while I'm at it." The ex-earthbender grinned impishly.

"You attempt that—and I'll be camped out on the pier, keeping Princess Yue company until morning," Tahno warned him. Ming shed his impish grin, now wearing one of saddened disappointment.

"You used to get pleasure from it when I'd do that," Ming seemed to whimper. The ex-waterbender sighed exasperatedly.

"That was a long time ago, Ming," Tahno reminded him. "I'm not really comfortable doing that anymore—and you know exactly why that is."

"I should've pounded that bastard into the ground when I had the chance," Ming replied angrily. "He made it so you're afraid of intimacy—"

"Ming?" Tahno interrupted him. "Shut up and go away. I need to get some sleep." The former waterbender continued on his trek to his room, not bothering to look back or to his side to see if the ex-earthbender was still there. He continued to ignore Ming's presence as he got ready for bed and crawled under the covers, even though Ming was no longer present.

XoXoX

Tahno awoke the next morning to the sound of metal striking the side of something ceramic—or something of the sort. At first he believed it to be one of the bending brothers, paying him a visit and possibly bringing tea up with them. The thought seemed ludicrous to him as his mind cleared, but it seemed the only rational explanation for the clanking of metal against the sides of a ceramic container.

When he sat up and looked over at his company, however, he realized that it was neither of them. The sound was indeed that of tea being stirred, but it wasn't Mako or Bolin doing the stirring. It wasn't Tenzin or his sister Kya either, and wasn't any of the other residents of the island that he recognized for that matter.

A man occupied the chair next to his bed, his hair tied back in the traditional Fire Nation style. His attire was simple and also traditional, appearing to be that of a teashop owner. The man's face was lined with signs of aging, and his hair was silver, although he appeared to have aged rather well. The man held a sense of pride within himself, but also a sense of serenity, his ever so intense golden eyes speaking volumes of that fact. And those eyes, even as the man was busy stirring his tea, were distinctly focused on the ex-bender.

"I had heard that there was a young man on this island that Avatar Aang created for himself that could see and speak to the spirits," The man spoke. "A long time ago, I too was able to see the spirits—although I didn't do much communicating with them. " His following laugh was sorrowed. "Would you like some tea, young man? It's soothing for the heart and soul."

"I take it you're a spirit?" Tahno remarked, ignoring the man's offer of tea.

"Yes, I passed on a long time ago," the man with the golden eyes spoke solemnly.

"You look like you did," Tahno commented. "Who are you anyways? Are you from the previous Avatar's time? Know him or something?"

"Yes, a long time ago I aided the Avatar and his friends in the hundred year war against the Fire Nation. Firelord Zuko is my nephew," the man told him, adding. "I am his uncle Iroh. So—how about it, young man? Would you like some tea?" He held up the teapot in his hands.

"Is that tea even real?" Tahno arched an eyebrow. "If you're a spirit, doesn't that mean the tea's too?"

"The tea is very much real. I have a way of handling things with substance," spectral Iroh chuckled heartily. "Especially tea. I always have had a passion for a good brew of tea."

"Uh…well—okay, if the stuff's real, I guess I'll have some," Tahno replied, not really certain if there was a way to turn the offer down. This spirit seemed rather pleasant, and he couldn't find it in himself to offend the man.

"Tea always used to calm me down," Iroh's hand surprisingly didn't pass through the little ceramic teacup that rested on a nearby stool as he prepared to pour the contents of the kettle into it. He reached for another cup that was just conjured out of thin air, and began pouring tea into it. He then set aside the kettle, taking up both the original teacup and the conjured one. He handed the original one to the ex-bender. "This should hit the spot. It is my favorite blend."

"So—did you stop by just to share some tea?" Tahno questioned the jovial old firebender's specter. Iroh took a gentle sip of his favorite brew, breathing in, it seemed, its very essence. He had a look cast across his face that spoke of an extreme sense of peace at the very fabric of his being.

"No, I thought it might be nice to start off our visit with a calming cup of tea before moving on to more serious matters," Iroh set aside his teacup. "Take a sip, I insist. It will leave you with a very calming feeling, I assure you."

"Okay—if you really insist," Tahno replied, not sure how else to respond. He didn't know what to expect the brew to taste like, and—seeing as he wasn't much of a tea drinker—wasn't expecting it to be anything too spectacular. As the liquid reached his taste buds, however, he discovered that the brew had a distinct, delicious flavor to it. Better than any tea he'd ever had—or almost any beverage he'd had for that matter. "If you can tell me what you put in this stuff and teach me how you prepped it, you just might have made a tea drinker out of me," he commented, gaining a satisfied grin from the old specter.

"Drink a little more, and don't drink it too quickly—you don't enjoy it nearly as much if you swallow too much of it at a time," Iroh informed him. "When we are finished with the business I came to attend to, I will give you explicit instructions on how to make that particular blend yourself."

Iroh kept quiet as he patiently waited for the ex-bender to finish his cup of tea. After he set it aside, the old firebender got down to talking to Tahno about the reason why he was there.

"Now that we have sat down to some tea, we can move on to more serious matters," Iroh began, brushing his beard absently with one hand for a moment. "There has been some unrest in the Spirit World recently, and that is what I have come to speak to you about."

"Fireboy—I mean Mako—told me that Avatar Korra went to resolve an issue with a spirit there," Tahno said. "Said that it and some of the other spirits were getting sick of the Avatar—her and previous ones, I guess—abusing their Avatar duties. He also said she's been gone for over a month and a half without hearing anything back from her." He watched as the old firebender conjured up his teacup once more and began drinking from it while he was speaking. "What have you got to tell me about all that? Come to say the Avatar's dead or something?"

"I do not know all the facts about what is going on in the Spirit World right now, but I can assure you that the young Avatar is still alive," Iroh told him, a melancholic fire burning in the depths of his amber hued eyes. "I'm afraid it is much more than that though, young man. Korra is alive—but for how much longer…the situation has grown quite dire I am afraid. From what I have been told by a very important source—the spirit that went to confront young Korra was sent by another, more devious spirit to lure her into a trap." He took a sip of his tea. "I am but a humble messenger for a more important spirit, and she's the one you should speak to about these matters further—not I."

"Who sent you to speak with me?" Tahno asked him. The old firebender made his teacup vanish once again.

"She and I have come to have quite a connection with one another, even though I was a firebender during my lifetime," Iroh began to say, laughing heartily before continuing. "I am certain you are familiar with her, young man—considering that you at one time were very connected with her, being a waterbender and all." He conjured his teacup again, taking a sip before casting it away into nothingness like before. "She is the lovely Princess Yue, the Moon Spirit."

"The Moon Spirit, huh?" Tahno said. "Why'd she have to send a messenger to do her dirty work? Why didn't she come to me herself and talk to me directly?"

"She did try to once before, but your conversation was interrupted by that other young man's presence. She can only visit you during the night, and also only when you are alone and outdoors," Iroh informed him. "You have been busy or in the company of others on those nights she might have otherwise had a chance to confront you."

"So…she wants me to meet up with her, alone…what—tonight?" Tahno asked him.

"The soonest opportunity would be the best," Iroh told him. "From what she has told me—the situation is rather urgent. She needs to speak with you about the matter immediately—and you are the only one who can attend to it."

"Me?" Tahno exclaimed. "What makes _me _the one person who can deal with this matter of hers?"

"You are capable of seeing and speaking with the spirits, young man, an ability that has created a link between you and the Spirit World, and are the only one—outside the Avatar herself—who has been known to be capable of this—currently, at least." Iroh was dead serious with his claim (no pun intended), Tahno realized.

"I guess, if that's the case…I'm going to have to be the one to handle this," Tahno sighed, narrowing his eyes a bit. "Do you think you could quit calling me _young man_? If you need to call me anything, call me by my name—Tahno, got it? The whole _young man_ thing is starting to irritate me."

"I can do that," Iroh stated, grinning rather mischievously. "So…Tahno—how about another cup of tea? You sound like you need another cup to unwind to."

Tahno rolled his eyes. "Okay—pour me another cup."

"While we are biding out time over some more tea, why don't we have a nice chat?" Iroh spoke up, eyes brightening, as he poured the ex-bender another cup. "About that other boy—the young firebender you called Mako?"

"What about him?" Tahno took the cup from the old firebender's specter.

"You are troubled by your feelings for him," Iroh took a sip from his re-conjured teacup. "You rejected his offer to sleep in here once again last night because you are afraid that you are falling in love with him." The ex-bender spit out a mouthful of tea in response. "You really should not waste your tea like that. Especially not that brew."

"I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't startled me so bad with what you just said!" Tahno accused. "Yeah—I rejected his offer because I'm afraid I'm falling too much for Fireboy. That'll only lead me down a one-way road, and it'll only be a very long and painful road if I bothered to continue travelling down it. I've been hurt too much in the last several months—I can't stand to be hurt anymore."

"You are going to need to confront your conflicted feelings when you attend to the task that Princess Yue has summoned you for," Iroh reminded him. "After all—the young firebender you house feelings for loves Avatar Korra."

"You don't have to remind me of that," Tahno remarked. "If I'm the only one who can handle this task—I'll do it for him as payback for all he's done for me in the last month or so. Even if—in the process of handling the situation, it somehow ends up _killing me_—I'll get Korra back to him safe and sound. That way, he'll be happy and my debt to him will be paid off."

Iroh didn't respond to that, only continuing to sip his tea and take pleasure in its flavor. At the very depths of his amber irises It was evident that the former waterbender's claim sorrowed him though, but he knew any argument he might bring up in response would only be an effort made in vain.

XoXoX

Tahno barely acknowledged most of the rest of the day's events, acting out most of thde functions during his daily routine almost mechanically. His session with Tenzin passed by in a blur, and he bested Asami in several key moves during their training. Asami was impressed that their lessons had proven beneficial the previous eve during his confrontation with Taki the earthbender. He just shrugged it off as 'nothing'.

Night was setting in, and the ex-bender was anticipating its arrival while watching the sky paint itself with brilliant hues upon the horizon as the sun fell lower until it passed beyond the boundary where the ocean met the sky. In an effort to avoid drawing company his way as the sun departed the sky for the evening, he'd parked himself on a rocky outcropping on a more secluded section of the beach.

Apparently, it hadn't been secluded enough.

"Hey—what are you doing perched up there? You're not still considering hurting yourself, are you?" The voice belonged to the elder waterbender, Jinora's favorite aunt Kya. When Tahno searched around for her quickly, he spotted her standing at the base of the outcropping he was perched on, some several feet below him.

"No—I was just waiting for the sun to go down!" Tahno shouted back, mildly irritated to have her company. "When the moon comes out, I was going to have a good conversation with the Moon Spirit!"

"Hey—would you mind some company for a bit, at least until the sun goes down?" Kya shouted back up to him. "I'll leave you once the moon's on the horizon."

Tahno sighed. "Okay, whatever—just…make sure you're gone when Yue's ready to make her appearance!"

"I'll be sure to be out of your way ten minutes early," Kya shouted back her assurance. With a swift and extravagant maneuver a column of water rose up from sea and provided the waterbending master a _staircase_ made of ice to ascend to the point where the ex-bender had perched himself. He watched her enviously as she made her ascent.

"I didn't realize how much I missed my bending until you demonstrated your waterbending in front of me just now," Tahno remarked as Kya finished her climb. She shot him a guilty grin, and then secured a spot right beside him.

"It must be hard to not be able to do something you've been capable of all your life," Kya noted with sympathy. "Let's change the subject, shall we? Have you ever heard the full tale of how Princess Yue became the Moon Spirit?"

"What all is there to it? She was a Northern Water Tribe princess who sacrificed herself in order to resurrect the fatally wounded original Moon Spirit," Tahno stated. Kya gave a knowing smile.

"I bet you never heard how she was my uncle's first love, or that she'd been blessed by the touch of the original Moon Spirit when she became ill as an infant," Kya told him.

"I didn't hear about that," Tahno admitted. "Do you know the whole tale?"

"Yes, my uncle Sokka used to tell us fondly about his first love, Princess Yue," Kya expression was wistfully nostalgic.

"Tell me about it while you're here then," Tahno replied. "But don't go into too much detail; I don't have all night."

"Well, from what Uncle Sokka used to tell us, it was during their first trip to the Northern Water Tribe with my father, Avatar Aang that he laid eyes on the beautiful princess. The sight of her took his breath away, and he was quick to try and gain her attention. Sadly for him—she was already set to marry another Northern Water Tribe fellow, one my uncle never spoke fondly of. I never could tell if it was because he was biased, or if the guy really was a jerk."

"Okay—so your uncle met Yue and fell in love with her, only to find out another guy had already claimed her—what next?" Tahno stated.

"The Fire Nation was preparing to go to war with The Northern Water Tribe about that time. My uncle spotted their fleet when he took Yue out on my father's flying bison for a _joyride._ The Fire Nation's goal at the time was to take control of the water tribe, but the force of the full moon kept them at bay. It's about this time that the devious General Zhao came up with this despicable plan to do away with the Moon Spirit so that the invasion would play into his favor," Kya took a moment to catch her breath. "After a battle had been waging between the two forces for some time, the general managed to get past the city's defenses and captured the Moon Spirit from the pool the two spirits have been swimming in since near the beginning of time. To the horror of everyone present, he held the spirit captive, threatening to kill it while others begged him not to. In the end—Zhao snuffed out the spirit's life, and the sky fell into darkness in the moon's absence."

"That Zhao fellow sounds like a complete moron," Tahno scoffed. "Didn't he know better than to mess with the spirits?"

"He learned his lesson, but I'm still getting to that," Kya told him. "The Moon Spirit was now dead, and it seemed as if all hope was lost. It was at this moment that another Fire Nation general, one General Iroh, made a vocal observation that Yue had a connection with the Moon Spirit. It was his making note of that fact that made Princess Yue realize she was the only one who could restore balance to the world. And so—she sacrificed her life to give life back to the Moon Spirit."

"So—what happened after that? Did she just disappear and become one with the spirit? And whatever happened to that Zhao guy? You said he later learned his lesson for his error, and I'd like to know what happened to him," Tahno asked her. She smiled at having found a tale that would catch his interest.

"Yue's human body dissolved into particles of light. From what my Uncle told me, her spectral form levitated in midair like an enchanting ethereal beauty, giving him one last departing kiss before she disappeared into thin air. As for what happened to Zhao—" Kya put on her thoughtful face. "After my father joined with the ocean spirit and decimated the Fire Nation fleet, the ocean spirit took out its vengeance on Zhao by picking him up and dragging him to the watery depths of the ocean. Nobody ever heard from him again, and it's just been assumed that he drowned."

"Good riddance," Tahno remarked. "The guy should've known better then to mess with the Moon Spirit."

"I agree with you there," Kya replied, laughing.

"Whatever happened to the guy Yue was betrothed to?" Tahno asked her.

"Died in battle I guess," Kya shrugged. "Nobody ever kept the record straight on what happened to him."

"Did your uncle ever see the Moon Spirit again?" Tahno asked her.

"I'm not quite sure if he ever did, but I remember him speaking of her fondly before he passed away," Kya told him. "Hey—it looks like you'll soon be having an audience with the Princess, so I'll leave you be so you can conduct that in peace."

"Hey, I know I was irritable with you a bit when you first showed up, but—I wanted to thank you for the tale," Tahno told her as she was getting the pillar of water constructed once again. "I've always had a fondness for the Moon Spirit, so it was nice to hear a more in-depth telling of her tale." Kya turned to face him and smiled brightly.

"It was my pleasure," Kya told him. "And, no worries—I didn't take your irritation personally! I understood why you were that way in the first place. Yue's great to be in the audience of, and I know she usually sticks to doing one on ones with those she chooses to be in the company of." She climbed onto the pillar, and he watched as she lowered herself gradually back to the ground. Once her feet were securely on the ground, she waved up at him. "Enjoy your conversation with the Moon Spirit!" He watched as she disappeared behind a rocky cliff and out of sight. He stayed there in silence for several long drawn moments, waiting for the Moon Spirit to appear.

"_I see that my message got through._" Tahno almost fell off his perch when the silence was broken by an ethereal, feminine voice near his right ear. He spun abruptly to come face to face with the beautiful specter know well as the Moon Spirit.

"Yeah—the old firebender you sent got the message across to me loud and clear," Tahno remarked when he regained his balance and composure. "So—what's this all about? That General Iroh guy told me that Korra was lured into a trap in the Spirit World or something like that, and that she's in danger—but he said you had much more you needed to tell me that went beyond that."

"_Avatar Korra was lured into the Spirit World in order to hold her captive there_," Yue told him. "_What I have gathered from reliable spiritual sources suggests that there's a coalition of spirits and living people from both this realm and the Spirit World who have come to an agreement that they want to rid the world completely of bending abilities._ _They are working on the means to accomplish this goal, and I have learned a part of their plan is to break the Avatar Cycle along with the removal of bending from the world_."

"What would bring a bunch of spirits to the agreement that they needed to remove bending from both the Avatar and the rest of the population? What grudge brought that on?" Tahno questioned her.

"_From what I have learned, it appears the individuals involved have all been negatively influenced by the actions of regular benders used against them, or from the actions of the Avatar—past or present—themselves. I haven't yet learned who all is involved in the plot, but regardless of that fact—it's becoming a dire situation that needs to be looked into."_

"So…what do you expect me to do about it?" Tahno asked her.

"_You need to travel to the Spirit World and bring Avatar Korra back before these spirits can set their plan in motion,"_ Yue informed him. He looked at her, aghast.

"_Me_? What can I do?" Tahno exclaimed. "I'm not _the Avatar!_ I can't just cross over the barriers of the two realms freely like Avatar Korra can!"

"_Actually—yes you can. In a sense, your newly acquired spiritual abilities allow you to cross the barriers between the two realms," _Yue informed him. _"Because of this, you're the only one who can currently travel there outside the times of the Solstices and free Avatar Korra before things can reach chaotic levels."_

"Chaotic?" Tahno raised an eyebrow. "In what way exactly?"

"_If they were to succeed with what they're intending to do, It could throw everything off balance with results that could be devastating—destruction that could even__ lead to complete annihilation of one or both realms," _Yue replied_. "You will need to head to the Southern Water Tribe to the spot where Avatar Aang emerged from his hundred-year internment. The region has become a spiritual nexus for the South Pole—and that's where Korra entered the Spirit World. When you arrive at the location, you'll be shown where you need to be by Aang's skybison, Appa." _She paused briefly before adding,_ "Your time is limited to retrieve Korra from the Spirit World and put a stop to their plan before they can successfully put it into motion."_

"How much time do I have to work with?" Tahno questioned her.

"_You'll have about three weeks. In order for both sides to be able to work together to accomplish their goals, they will need to do it on the Summer Solstice," _Yue told him.

Tahno nodded. "Which is in three weeks."

"_Yes," _Yue nodded as well.

"Do you have any clue what spirits—or whatever—are involved in this plot?" Tahno asked her. "Please tell me that Amon's not involved in this in any way."

"_I have learned that there is at least one living person who can communicate with spirits who's one of the ones heading the operation—and possibly more working alongside that individual," _Yue told him._ "As to their identities or those of the others involved—they haven't revealed themselves in a way that I'm able to keep track of yet. I can assure you that Amon—or as he was known before he took on that name—Noatak, isn't involved in their plot." _

"That's a relief at least," Tahno breathed a sigh. Remarking, he added, "Angry spirits holding Avatar Korra hostage while they plan to eliminate bending _and _the Avatar Cycle from the world…you just dropped a shitload of info right into my lap." He felt mentally overwhelmed. "That's a lot for a guy like me to digest, but I guess I'll try my best to do that."

"_There is another specific reason why__** you**__ need to hurry," _Yue told him, gaze on him deadly serious. "_You only have a short time before you yourself will run out—" _

"Hey, Tahno! Kya told me you were out here. There's something I need to tell you!" In the instant that the ex-bender heard Mako shouting for him, the Moon Spirit was no longer there right by his side. Sighing irritably, the former waterbender sought out the firebender below, his eyes looking upon him disdainfully.

"Didn't Kya inform you that I was in the middle of something?" Tahno shouted irritably at him.

"Your visit with the Moon Spirit will have to wait," Mako shouted back. "This is more important!"

"Oh? What could be oh so important, eh?" Tahno questioned him.

"There's just been an attack made on Asami's mansion!" Mako shouted back, sounding more impatient.

"What?" Tahno exclaimed. "Who—and what for?"

"Don't know—but it reeks of Hiroshi Sato's influence!" Mako replied. "C'mon! The attack just came in through Tenzin's communication feed, and it's still in progress. If we're quick—we might catch the culprit before they have a chance to make a clean getaway!"

"Let me get down from here first!" Tahno shouted to him. "Yah!" With a sharp jerk and a yelp escaping from him as a result—the outcropping he'd been sitting atop that had risen several feet up in the air suddenly shrank in size considerably, almost to the point where he was sitting on flat ground.

"That brought you down to earth in a hurry," Bolin mused, appearing at his brother's side with a satisfied grin. "Which we're kinda in, considering Asami might be in danger. You wouldn't want something to happen to Miss Sato if we all took our time, would ya?"

"No," Tahno grumbled, getting to his feet and dusting himself off.

"Tenzin told us to meet him in the courtyard," Mako told the ex-bender. "We're going to take a ride on his skybison because it'll provide us a shortcut. You're not afraid of heights at all, are you Tahno?"

"No," Tahno replied.

"Let's rush then," Mako stated. "I want to be sure Asami's okay."

As the three departed, Tahno kept looking over his shoulder at where he'd been holding his conversation with Moon Spirit Yue just moments before. He knew he'd eventually have to bring the facts of their conversation up with the firebender and the others, but right at that moment—their minds were occupied with Asami's safety. So Avatar Korra's situation would have to wait—

—But Tahno knew he couldn't wait _too long_. He would inform them of it after they dealt with the current situation unfolding at the Sato Estate. He wanted to ensure the safety of Miss Sato, and he was certain that would be jeopardized if all their thoughts were conflicted by the news the ex-bender was burdened with knowing.


	8. Chapter 8

Pillars of smoke rose up from behind the grand mansion, but from the front of the building, it looked like the structure was very much intact. They met Asami at the front entrance of the estate. She appeared unnerved; fingering the fabric of the Equalist glove she wore on her other hand.

"What's happening?" Mako asked her.

"A few individuals garbed in Equalist attire broke in through the rear of the mansion. They infiltrated the lower level of the mansion and escorted me out the door without giving me a reason as to why they were here. I think they were looking for something of my father's," Asami told him, shaking her head somberly.

"I thought the Equalist movement came to a halt when Amon was exposed as a fraud," Bolin stated.

"The potential for the movement's always going to be there," Tenzin informed him. "There just needs to be a leader who's got enough inspiration to captivate a crowd to their ideals—and Hiroshi Sato might just be the kind of person who could fit that role."

"Unfortunately," Asami scoffed. "He lost all merit for his ideals with me when he attacked the people I care for—and all the innocent people who were _never_ involved in my mother's murder. I'll never understand how he can see all benders as being evil and abusive. Some of the greatest individuals I know are benders—after all."

"Let's just figure out what Hiroshi's motivations are for here, and defeat them before he can put them into action," Tenzin said to them. As he spoke, Lin Beifong emerged from the front entryway of the mansion with a couple of her officers by her side.

"It looks like they're searching for something in the underground workshop we discovered during our last raid here," Lin reported as she joined the group. "They've got the air filled with a noxious gas that has already put a couple of my officers out of commission for the time being. We're going to need your airbending to clear the air so we can safely continue, Tenzin."

"Lead the way then, Lin," Tenzin responded. He turned his attention to the other four. "Care to join us, or would you four prefer to wait it out right here?"

"I'm in," Bolin spoke up quickly. Mako nodded his agreement.

"I need to know what my father's intentions are here, so I can't sit back and watch as they try to wreck havoc on _my home_," Asami stated, expression drawn and serious.

"Well, Tahno—you staying or going?" Mako asked the ex-bender.

Tahno shrugged his shoulders. "Me—stand on the sidelines while you guys get in on a piece of the action?" He looked at them all critically. "Count me in—I'm no silly bystander."

"Lead the way in then, Lin," Tenzin instructed Beifong. She gave a grimfaced nod and led the way.

XoXoX

The air was clouded and heavy as they reached the spot that led to the underground workshop and factory beneath the mansion. Tenzin got to work creating an air bubble around the group to prevent them from breathing in the toxins, and they moved forward.

"Have you or any of your officers been able to figure out what they're looking for down here—or what my father's been planning for that matter?" Asami asked Lin as they reached the mine cart-like platform that would bring them down to the underground complex.

"It looks like your father sent his followers in search of something that's being kept down here," Lin told her. "What that is—none of us are certain. We did a thorough search down here for all of the _toys_ Hiroshi kept hidden when we finished our investigation here last time, Miss Sato. So whatever Hiroshi's got planned for his infiltration of this space down here—I haven't the faintest."

"I'm sure there's something down here that we missed," Asami stated glumly, frowning deeply. "He managed to keep me from being aware of his entire workshop existing down here before you managed to reveal it—there's no telling what other secrets my father's got hidden down here that even _I_ don't know about."

"If there's any more secrets hidden down here—we'll reveal them," Lin assured her. "If we have to gut this space for every secret Hiroshi and the Equalists managed to keep down here—I'm up to the task."

"Just—make sure my mansion doesn't sink while you're doing that," Asami warned her. "This is still _my home_ we're talking about."

"I assure you—we'll be very thorough and careful while we do our investigation, you have my word, Miss Sato," Lin assured her.

"Asami, you can just call me Asami," Asami told her. "We don't have to be formal with each other."

"Whatever you want—it works for me," Lin shrugged.

Most of the rest of the trip down into the depths of Hiroshi's secret underground workshop was made in silence, outside the sounds of the platform lowering them down to the level where the underground factory was.

When the platform reached the underground level, Tahno's eyes wandered around the premises, taking in the sights as they continued moving. The expanse that lay ahead had a foreboding air to it; one that he was thankful didn't have the benefit of ghoulish spirits being added into the mix. The expanse of the former secret Equalist factory lay in near abandonment, the space dark and deep in shadows. Lin managed to discover a light source, and the place was suddenly alight with a dim glow of antique amber lighting.

Equalist posters hung in tatters from the ceiling where they once were displayed proudly. The floor was covered in a nice layering of dust that left foot tracks as they wandered inwards.

A loud explosion came from somewhere off to the side, smoke emitting from a lower ceilinged corridor running off somewhere to the side. After Tenzin managed to clear the air of the rising smoke and debris, the group continued on down the corridor cautiously, not certain what to expect. The way down the corridor was somewhat darker than the main expanse, but they managed without too many complications. It wasn't too far down the way that they had to go; because about thirty feet down the pathway they encountered the source of the explosion.

The group stopped at a turn in the tunnel, watching from their currently concealed position the activity of the culprits of the explosion. The scene was active, with several people garbed in Equalist attire working on cleaning up the debris created by the explosion while others were busy at work trying to move a now damaged panel of platinum siding. They all worked in an organized effort to _peel _that panel away from its position, using a forklift and some other pieces of small machinery to get it out of the way.

"I should've remembered that Hiroshi resorted to using platinum to prevent me and my officers from being able to destroy his mecha using our metalbending," Lin remarked in a harsh whisper. "My guess is that he has some hidden rooms in this underground factory with wall-to-wall platinum panels to make it harder to—or even _prevent_—detection of those secret compartments where he might have hidden some of those so-called _toys_ of his. He managed to conceal the location of this factory from everyone's knowledge—who's to say he hasn't done the same with some more of his inventions within his own workshop?"

Asami released an irritable sigh before they all went back to observing the scene in silence. After the slab was completely moved out of the way, it revealed a hidden compartment with something hidden within the shadows. A few of the Equalist garbed individuals wasted no time in going in to investigate the dark room's contents. The rest stayed out in the main hallway as lookouts.

"Should we rush in there—give them everything we have and demand them to give us the information about what they're after in there?" Mako suggested in a whisper.

"The element of surprise would be effective, but we can't be sure what they've got at their disposal. They could end up taking us by surprise like they did the last time we infiltrated this place after Hiroshi's betrayal was first discovered," Tenzin partially argued.

"What do you suggest then, Tenzin? We just wait here and watch them until they _show_ us what they came here for in the first place?" Lin questioned him irritably.

While the two elders argued over the issues amongst themselves, Tahno caught sight of a particular figure off to the side, silently beckoning to him—and only him. The ex-bender inconspicuously separated from the group and silently made his way over to the beckoning figure.

"Please tell me this has nothing to do with that crazy brother of yours," Tahno remarked somewhat snappishly to the specter of the ex-Councilman. Tarrlok in turn leveled a stern expression in the ex-bender's direction.

"This has nothing to do with Amon," Tarrlok responded curtly. He uncrossed his arms and leveled a finger down the corridor past the gathering of Equalists. "There's something afoot down that way, and since you're the only one I can communicate with—I'm going to have to rely on you to act the role of spy for me. You're going to have to act alone on this though—a group of onlookers will attract attention."

"What do you want _me_ to overhear?" Tahno questioned him testily. The frown on the specter's face became more distinctly pronounced.

"Don't question what I'm telling you to do—just go do it," Tarrlock demanded impatiently. "I swear—you kids. Trying to work with you is almost as bad as it was when I was dealing with the Avatar."

The ex-bender muttered a few expletives under his breath as he did exactly what the ex-Councilman suggested. He shut up as he grew closer to the area nearby to where the Equalists were camped. He took one sweeping glance around to make sure nobody—friend or foe—noticed his movements, and then snuck past them while remaining unnoticed. Tarrlok told him where to head in order to remain inconspicuous, advice that—even though the source was annoying the hell out of the ex-bender—turned out to be crucial in keeping his hide from being discovered by the enemy.

Eventually Tarrlok gave him the order to stay in one place. The ex-bender glared at the ex-Councilman's specter for a moment, that is—until he heard voices caught up in a conversation nearby. Tarrlok held his finger to his lips, an indication that he wanted Tahno to remain quiet. The ex-bender complied.

"Stay here and just listen," Tarrlok told him. "You're going to be picking up a few things here that are going to be very crucial for you to hear, so don't mess this up and reveal your location."

Tahno peered cautiously around the corner to spy out the source of the conversation. It was a gathering of three—two of which were garbed in Equalist attire much like the others had been. The other person, however—the ex-bender recognized that there was something familiar about that one in particular.

Even though the lighting was somewhat poor—that man was familiar. From his wide shouldered stance, the prominence of his presence—Tahno knew exactly who the man was. All his irritation with the ex-Councilman evaporated as he put his full focus on the conversation playing out between the three standing there a short distance from where he was hidden.

XoXoX

While Lin and Tenzin were caught in their argument about what to do, the two bending brothers and Miss Sato observed the activities of the _Equalists_ as they split into two groups—one to head into the newly revealed secret compartment while the others remained posted outside the entrance to act as lookouts in case of trouble.

"I wonder if Hiroshi's heading this group, or if they're acting under somebody else's authority—someone else we haven't encountered yet?" Mako noted quietly to the other two. Bolin glanced his way quickly, giving him a shrug while Asami kept on intently watching the activity playing out before them.

"I don't know, but I'm curious as to what's back there that they're after in the first place," Asami replied moodily. "If my father's involved or not—I'm pretty certain its one of _his_ inventions they're after."

"Let me be the one to investigate that," Lin spoke up, although not loudly enough to alert the enemy to their position. "With the doorway open, I might be able to pick up a sense of what they've got in there." She resorted to the technique her famous mother had perfected, and passed the knowledge on down to her.

"Okay—sometime later, you're going to have to teach me how to use seismic sense," Bolin said with a slight hint of envy. "And—how to metalbend. Iroh _had _to make me feel inadequate about it once while we were locked up together. _Had _to remind me that_ I_ don't know how to do it."

"There's something pretty sizable in there that they're trying to find a way to transport out of there," Lin noted, ignoring Bolin in the process. "Seems to be made out of something metallic, but I can't get a good read on it. Its probably been constructed out of platinum like the mecha we discovered down here last time."

"Can you get an idea of what it is?" Asami asked her. Lin shrugged.

"Something mechanical is my guess," Lin replied.

"I'm sure—whatever it is—their intent for it isn't anything good," Mako noted.

"We should get in there and prevent them from moving whatever's in there out of this underground factory," Bolin suggested, receiving a few nods in response.

"Let's get to it before they can get too much progress done here then," Lin stated, revealing her presence to the enemy by stepping away from their concealed location and going on the attack. One of the lookouts spotted Lin as she charged forwards, barking orders at one of his comrades quickly before his other cohort sprinted down the hallway in the opposite direction and out of sight. The lookout was soon overwhelmed within the trapping entanglement of metal cords wrapping around his frame and restraining him.

Shortly after the fellow's comrade had slipped away and out of sight, the sound of footsteps pounding against the cold stone floor grew closer until their source revealed a decent fighting force of _Equalists_ coming in to provide their comrades back up. It was about this time that the rest of the party stepped out of their concealed location to come to Lin's aide.

"While the rest of us keep these guys distracted, one of us needs to get in there and investigate what they're trying to remove from that _secret compartment_ of theirs," Lin said to Mako, who happened to be standing close by.

"If I can get an opening, I'll try and get in there. My firebending might be the only thing that'll light up the space enough to see what's inside there clearly since we didn't bother to bring flashlights along with us." He stated, verbally adding his agreement even as he had to go on the defensive with one of the enemy who'd moved too closely into his range for his comfort. He avoided and evaded the enemy's chi-blocking maneuvers, learning well from his last encounter with the technique when it was used on him. He dodged a blow made at his head, catching the garbed man at just the right angle with his upraised fist to knock the wind out of the enemy's lungs long enough to incapacitate them for the time being.

When the man toppled to the floor, Mako bolted towards the compartment before one of the man's comrades could block his path. One of the enemies made an attempt to do just that, but they had to contend with a very strong gust of wind directed at them by Tenzin, and in the end—the air gust prevailed.

Before he took the opportunity to head inside the recently revealed shadow encased room, Mako did a quick visual scan around him. His brother was busy dealing with two Equalists on his back. Bolin managed to knock one out with a sharp blow squarely to the stomach with a column of earth that came suddenly jutting out at the man. The other one attempted to sneak up on him while he was distracted, but Asami took advantage of the enemy by sneaking up behind _him_ and giving him a shock he wouldn't soon forget.

Tenzin was busy knocking a few more of them from their feet as they charged in, sending them back down the hall they came from. Lin meanwhile was busy ensnaring another man in her metallic coils, while still keeping the other captive—hanging him from the ceiling with his feet dangling helplessly under him.

In all the action, Mako noticed that someone was missing. Tahno. He hadn't been aware of the ex-waterbender's absence, but now—

The firebender didn't have the time to ponder the ex-bender's whereabouts any longer as he entered the shadowy depths of the _secret space_. He instantly lit the way with an orb of amber flames hovering above his fist.

In a quick instant when she hadn't been distracted, Asami had seen Mako make a run for the revealed compartment, but was too soon distracted by her current predicament to attempt to follow him. In the meantime, Asami was holding her own against an experienced fighter; her opponent skillfully evaded her attempts to shock him with her glove while she just barely managed to avoid strikes made her way.

Her opponent was an almost even match, but eventually she got the upper hand over him. Almost literally, as when she found just the right opportune opening to do so—she raised her gauntleted hand and placed it over her opponent's forehead, giving the person a nice _jolt._ Her opponent crumpled to the floor in a heap, and Asami moved on to the next place where she might be needed.

In all the scrambling and fighting, none of them acknowledged the approach of wheeled machinery and more footsteps. The fact would only be brought to their awareness at the sound of a loud, booming voice.

"I see my activities down here have managed to attract a unique breed of…vermin. I was kind of hoping that it would actually. I wanted to show off one of my greatest toys before I have to bother doing away with the lot of you."

Everything came to a halt, both in the actions of friend and foe alike. All eyes turned to focus on the source of the loud voice, which had originated from one particularly hateful and arrogant—albeit brilliant—man once renowned for his impressive inventive prowess.

Hiroshi Sato.

"What are you planning to do down here, Sato?" Lin demanded harshly. She tossed aside the former businessman's cohorts, a harsh thud being made as they collided with the hard floor and were immediately knocked out cold by the impact. She then made her way over towards him with the intent of interrogating him harshly until she got some answers out of him. He smirked at her approach though, showing no fear as the metalbender grew closer.

"I wouldn't get any closer if I were you," Hiroshi warned in a smooth voice, his smirk becoming increasingly malicious. "I've got this place rigged with explosives. One wrong move from you—any of you—and the place will come down around your ears!"

Lin stopped in her tracks, glaring at him with her coldly enraged green eyes. The others present stared at Sato in speechless disbelief.

"So—what is this _toy_ you needed to show us?" Lin snarled at him.

"My _toy—_as you've wrongfully accused it of being—Is my greatest masterpiece, a piece of mecha greater and more accomplished even than my previous models ever could strive to be. The likes of which none of you have ever seen—or will ever see again!" Hiroshi motioned to a few of his supporters, who gave quick nods before hastily sprinting off towards where his _prized contraption_ was currently being housed. There were sounds of a struggle and a muffled cry, and then—it fell silent.

But only for a moment, the stilled air was pierced by the sound of a forklift's engine starting, followed up with a blend of machine's movements and the sound of something slowly being wheeled out from the dark space. A few moments later, an impressive piece of machinery emerged from the space, with the combined effort of machine and human strength pushing it forward.

Bolin couldn't help but whistle at the sight. "Now that's a piece of machinery," he commented.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Hiroshi marveled at the sight of his grand invention.

"What do you intend to do with that massive piece of machinery of yours, Hiroshi?" Tenzin stood with his arms crossed, his stern gaze aimed in the former businessman's direction. Hiroshi turned his back on his creation to look the airbender in the eye, and broadened his smirk.

"This little beauty is going to change the world," Hiroshi claimed.

"Are you planning to use it to take Future Industries back from me, _father?_" Asami questioned him angrily.

"I'm not going to waste my time trying to reclaim the business from you, Asami, when I've got bigger, better endeavors to undertake," Hiroshi said to her. He headed over to the massive mecha his supporters were busy dusting off. He admired his creation once again, getting caught in his inner reveling over it. "Asami, your mother came to visit me while I was…away, and you were wrong. She didn't despise me for my actions—she admired me for what I was setting out to do." He grinned wildly. "She agreed with me Asami! She agreed with my vision for changing the world for the better!" Asami stared at him in utter horror.

"How can you even claim that mom would agree with the despicable things you were intending to do?" Asami cried. "Mom would _never_ agree with your actions! You must've been having hallucinations of her being there as a result of you being locked up in a small cell to yourself for long periods of time!"

"It is you, Asami, who are delusional—siding with these _vermin _even as it was their kind that was responsible for your mother's death, and every misfortune that has befallen us nonbenders over the centuries. The fact that you would ally yourself with the likes of them…I can't even bring myself to call you my _daughter."_ Hiroshi 's expression was contorted into a deeply etched frown as he spoke to her, the fire in his eyes wild and fierce. In an instant, the frown evaporated into his wild smirk once more, the fires still burning in his eyes. He turned to face his creation once again, back turned to his daughter as he added nonchalantly, "I noticed that the street rat you were dating is missing. What happened to him?"

_I saw him running towards the space where that mecha was being stored, probably in order to investigate it—_Asami's eyes widened as she made the realization that Mako was absent. Her eyes shot over quickly to the dark space, recalling that there had been a struggle and a muffled cry coming from there before the massive mecha was wheeled out into the open. Her eyes then landed on her father accusingly. demanding, "What did your cronies do to Mako?"

"Bring the street rat out here," Hiroshi ordered one of his supporters. The _Equalist _garbed individual nodded without saying a word, and then motioned to one of his fellows to come along with him as they headed back into the dark expanse. A few moments later, they were dragging the firebender's unconscious form from the shadowy space.

"Mako—" Asami cried mournfully.

"Bro…" Bolin was frozen in place, a look of sadness spread across his face.

"If you don't want any harm to come to this street rat of yours," Hiroshi motioned towards Mako as his two supporters brought him nearer to where he stood beside his creation. "I expect all of you to keep back and let me and my supporters leave without incident. If anyone tries to interfere—he gets it."

"We don't bargain with traitors!" Lin snarled, seething with fury. "You _will _release him now—and just be happy that _you'll_ _all_ survive this in the end!"

Tenzin, meanwhile, was internally burdened by his thoughts. On one hand, he agreed with Lin; it was only rational not to give into the demands of the likes of a traitor like Hiroshi, but on the other hand—Korra probably would never forgive him if something happened and Mako ended up being killed when he was able to prevent it—

"We'll let you leave the premises if you release the boy," Tenzin spoke up. "We won't interfere." Lin glowered at him.

"How can you give in to the demands of the likes of him?" Lin argued with the airbender. "He shouldn't be allowed the opportunity to escape—let alone get his way!"

"Lin—Korra would never forgive me if something were to happen to Mako under my watch," Tenzin tried reasoning with her. "Plus—I can't just let him harm the boy in front of Miss Sato and his brother. We came down here to investigate the incident—not get any of us killed."

"So…the street rat is important to the Avatar, eh?" Hiroshi's eyes brightened with an intense light in their fathoms. He directed his attention towards his two cohorts who were holding the still unconscious Mako captive. "Bring the street rat over here. I'm taking him with me." To Tenzin and the rest of his party, "Deal's off. I'm taking the boy and leaving the premises—even if I have to bull my way out in the process." With some help from a couple of his supporters he mounted the side of his massive mecha until he reached the top, where a hatch retracted back at the press of a side panel. Once he got himself situated, he signaled to Mako's captors. "Haul him up here to me."

The two captors were about to comply when their leader started convulsing, his graying hair standing on end as an electrical current ran through his entire frame for an instant. The man almost stumbled and fell from his perch, but managed to steady himself.

But not before the culprit emerged from behind the giant mecha and began using the same tactic on the former businessman's startled cohorts, who were still holding the unconscious firebender captive. The two convulsed for an instant before crumpling to the floor in an unconscious heap. The one armed with the kali sticks swept in to catch the firebender before he could make a harsh tumble while electrocuting his captors, and then gingerly set him off to the side before arming himself with his electric weaponry once again.

"I don't think so." Tahno stood there, waving the still electrified kali sticks in each of his gloved hands. He held the weapons at the ready in case any of Hiroshi's other allies decided to challenge him. When they showed that they were obviously not going to provide a threat to him, the ex-bender turned his sights to the recovering former businessman. "So—you gonna try and take him or what? If you're gonna try it, you'll have to get through me first old man!"

Hiroshi seethed with anger. "That's not how you address your elders, young man!" he snarled at the ex-bender. He concentrated his attention on the ex-waterbender more closely. "You're the ex-waterbender from the probending championship finals—from that pathetic team, the White Falls Wolfbats," he realized. "Last time I saw you at the police station—you looked like you could barely function after your bending was stripped from you. It looks like you managed to recover from your depression." A smile slowly spread across the man's face. "It nice to know that it's possible—that a former bender can lead a…normal life devoid of their _bending._ Promising."

"I've adjusted, but it doesn't mean that I'm happy about it," Tahno shot back. "And I'm going to make sure that nothing you attempt to accomplish will make that fact _permanent!_"

"You'll have to escape this underground factory first if you even intend to stop me, young man," Hiroshi informed the ex-bender. Meanwhile, Tahno caught movement out of the corner of his eye. The specter of the ex-Councilman was waving his arms, trying to gain his attention.

"Remember what you overheard!" Tarrlok was shouting to him. "What he plans to do! Also remember—he plans to blow this place up!"

The ex-bender looked around at all the faces of the people surrounding him: the madman in his oversized contraption—Hiroshi and his followers, who were in a mix of standing at attention or knocked out, to the ones he'd come in the company of—the old airbender, Tenzin; Mako's younger brother, the earthbender Bolin; Lin, the metalbender and daughter of the late, great originator of the bending art form; and the daughter of the madman himself, the beautiful Asami Sato. His eyes then landed on the still form of the firebender who'd _dragged_ him into their lives—whether he wanted it or not—Mako.

They were a group of people he once didn't care to be associated with. That all seemed like a lifetime ago, during a time when he was a completely different person—a person who didn't give a shit about things in his life outside of fame, winning championships or competing in the probending arena. Amon had awoken him to reality, and Mako had saved him from throwing his potential away.

And here he was now, the one holding all the cards to the crucial information in this dire mission. The one who—unbeknownst to the rest of them—would end up making the call that would get them out of there alive.

Tahno tossed aside the electric kali sticks and sighed heavily. He dropped to his knees beside the still unconscious firebender, putting in the extra effort to pick him up and then get back to his feet. Mako was heavy, dead weight, but the ex-bender managed. He turned his attention to those he'd accompanied down there, shouting to them, "We've gotta get out of this place! He's been planning to cause a cave in down here from the beginning!"

All their eyes widened.

"How do you know?" Bolin exclaimed.

"I overheard them making plans down the way," Tahno explained. "I heard Hiroshi personally say that was his intention from the beginning. After he hauled that contraption of his out from down here—that was his plan. He's plans to annihilate this underground workshop of his—which would take us, the workshop, and the mansion, down along with it."

Asami stared at her father in disbelief. "I can't believe you're willing to destroy everything! Your factory, our home—everything you spent the last twenty or thirty years building up to what it now is! Why do you want to throw it all away, father—_why?_?"

"It's no longer under my control, and I no longer have any use for it—that's why," Hiroshi replied apathetically. "I've managed to invent machinery far superior to all my previous works, and this is the jewel of my newest handiwork. I've been given—I guess you could call it…_divine inspiration_ on a new line of vastly superior mechanical equipment." He then ignored her existence and turned to one of his _Equalist_ followers. "Go inform the handlers to detonate the bombs. Ensure that they wait until I've cleared the premises, and then tell them to bring it all down!" His loyal follower acknowledged the orders with a quick nod, and then hurried out of there in order for them to be immediately carried out.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi climbed into his gargantuan piece of machinery and closed the hatch behind him. The engine of the giant mecha started up with a resounding whir a few seconds later, the contraption coming to life with an incandescent blue light emanating from the compartment Hiroshi had climbed inside of. The giant mecha got up from its_ kneeling position_ and onto its two _legs,_ with help from the machinery's massive _arms_. Once it was upright, one of its _arms _extended upwards until it was pointing straight at a nearby wall.

All eyes of those present—both friend and foe—were glued on the extended _arm_ of the mecha as a bright, eerie incandescent blue beam of light shot forth from it, aiming straight for the wall in front of it without bending or straying from its course. The wall vaporized into dust and small shards of debris, filling the air with a heavy cloud of dust. Clouds of bluish green smoke were emitted from compartments that momentarily opened at the back of the contraption.

The air was heavy with a thick smoke screen for a few minutes; the whir of the mecha's engine grew increasingly fainter as it moved out under the cover it had provided for itself. Meanwhile, those who weren't prepared to face the smoke cloud breathed it in, getting caught in coughing fits while the footsteps of prepared _Equalist_ followers fast-paced it from the premises.

Tenzin eventually recovered enough to clear the air of the thick smoke cloud, allowing the rest of the party a chance to breathe regularly once again. By that time, the mecha with Hiroshi in it and his group of followers were long gone.

"We need to get out of here—fast!" Tahno insisted. "From what I overheard, he's got this whole place rigged with explosives. If we can move quickly, we might be able to disable a few of them and save this structure from going under. If we can get a few of your metalbending officers to help out—" He looked directly at Lin as he spoke. "—They can help keep the foundation intact, maybe even secure it so this whole place doesn't end up being one big sinkhole."

Lin did a quick sweep of the entire premises with her seismic sense, grimly nodding in agreement once she reopened her eyes. "You're right for the most part. From what I was able to gather—they made their exit through a secret tunnel that branches off into a stretch of tunnels leading towards other known _Equalist_ utilized facilities. It appears that Hiroshi had his plans alongside the Equalist agenda well thought out; This underground workshop of his is filled with intricate tunnel systems we have barely yet begun to uncover."

"And we probably won't have time to explore _any_ of them if this whole place comes down around our heads," Bolin noted, looking uneasily up towards the ceiling.

"I made a promise to Asami that her home would remain thoroughly intact—and I'm not about to go back on my word now," Lin stated. "I'll stay behind and put in every effort I can muster to keep this structure from sinking under while the rest of you head back to safety. When you get above ground—send some of my officers in to aide me." She expressed a smile that was rare to see displayed on her face. "Rest assured, Miss Asami Sato—you're not going to lose your home today at your so-called father's hands."

"I really appreciate that," Asami told her gratefully. She stood by the older airbender as he prepared to leave.

"I'll make sure to send your officers down to assist you as soon as possible," Tenzin promised. "The rest of you, let's get out of here quickly. I want to be sure you all get out of this alive." He eyed the still unconscious firebender in Tahno's grasp. "Want to transfer the responsibility of carrying Mako out of here into my hands?" He asked the ex-waterbender.

Tahno shook his head. "There isn't time to do that. I'll take care of him. Let's just get out of here. I don't think we have that much time left, and I have a lot to report to you all after all this is said and done."

"You know what Hiroshi's up to?" Bolin exclaimed.

"There's more to what I've got to say then just that, but let's get out here before the place caves in, okay?" Tahno replied, sounding a little impatient. Tenzin gave a quick nod in agreement, and then gave the silent signal for them to make a run for it.

Lin watched them as they ran, but her full mental concentration was kept on making sure the foundations holding the Sato Estate up stayed the way they were meant to be.

XoXoX

The skirmish between him and the _Equalist _garbed enemy had been short-lived; Mako recalled the fact as he constantly faded in and out of consciousness. His illumination had been a beacon in the darkness. He'd been outnumbered—overwhelmed by them with no path he could take to escape. He'd had the short-lived advantage of light coming from his firebending maneuvers that he'd resorted to using on his opponents as they came at him, but they had the advantages of agility, special techniques _and_ sheer numbers on their side.

There was no contest; they were going to overtake him, and he was going to lose.

He faintly recalled being roughly handled by a couple of Hiroshi's supporters as they dragged him from the darkness back into the dim lighting. Caught echoes of words coming from the madman himself—even though Hiroshi's actual words didn't exactly register in Mako's mind.

His mind had wandered in its dark fathoms for a time before glimmers of external events registered again to his subconscious. He got the sense of the two individuals who'd dragged him from the dark secret room—the ones who were holding him up, one at each arm—convulsing and then releasing him, and then the beginning of a freefall towards the hard surface below—

But two arms caught him before he made that harsh descent, taking him up and then gingerly setting him down on the floor. Arms not of a foe, but a friend—

He sunk back into the farthest fathoms of his mind again, and stayed there for quite some time. It wasn't until he felt the same arms as before successfully scoop him up in their grasp did he begin to emerge from those fathoms once more. But just as he began to believe he was going to finally escape from the dark depths of his mind, Mako sunk back into it again. And this time—the darkness enveloped him completely.


	9. Chapter 9

_I wanted to thank my two reviewers for the extensive reviews you gave me. I really appreciated what you had to say, and hope you'll enjoy the further read of this chapter and the next I'll be posting shortly._

_okay, back to the story—_

XoXoX

After her home was nearly obliterated, Asami needed to occupy her time with _something_ that would keep her mind off what had almost happened and how her father was involved in it. That night following the destruction of her father's underground factory had been fraught with restlessness, providing her little fruitful sleep to sustain her through the following day.

Even though she was still rather worn out, Asami took refuge at the very airstrip where Hiroshi Sato had first revealed his newly designed biplanes during Amon's occupation of Republic City—the one where she did the test runs on their revised versions. In the next couple days she knew that the crafts needed to be ready to make a long journey, and in the meantime, she wanted to make sure they were up to the task.

During that time, she also needed to make sure the two piloting the other biplanes besides herself were given instructions on how to operate them. Iroh came in bright and early the morning following the Sato Estate attack, meeting up with Asami at the airstrip shortly after learning about all the details of what was going on from Tenzin. Lin showed up a short time later, volunteering for the third piloting position—refusing to listen to any arguments that could be made in opposition.

The ex-bender quietly showed up on the scene, standing by and waiting—it appeared—until Asami was finished wrapping up her lessons with the metalbender and the Firelord's grandson. After she was through giving them instructions on how to operate the controls and prepped them with the proper gear for takeoff, Asami let the two take some test runs with the crafts before veering her attention in Tahno's direction.

"Hey Tahno! What brings you here?" Asami shouted to him as she approached the hangar where he stood waiting.

"A needed distraction," Tahno replied. "The old airbender also sent me over with his eldest kid and that flying bison of his to check in on your progress with those two who'll be piloting the other two planes."

"They're just taking their first test flights right now," Asami told him. Tahno's eyes were drawn towards the two crafts making their takeoffs further down the runway. Asami recognized the awe hidden in the depths of his ice-blue gaze. "Looking forward to riding in one of those things?" She brought his attention back towards her. The ex-bender stared at her blankly before responding with a hesitated nod.

"Should be interesting, to say the least," Tahno commented.

"I still can't believe what my father's planning to do," Asami noted bitterly after a brief moment of silence. "What you managed to overhear him say to his followers—" She shuddered.

"Just be glad that your _dad's_ plan to sink the mansion into one big ass sinkhole didn't work out," Tahno reminded her.

"Yeah, thanks to Lin and her officers—I've still got a home," Asami replied.

"We'll keep him from carrying out the rest of his plans," Tahno stated.

"That's why we're having Iroh and Lin Beifong get in some practice over the next couple days while we're all trying to recover from yesterday's incident with my father," Asami added, looking at the air bound crafts flying overhead. The two stood silently for a while, watching the planes dip and dive overhead. From their observations, it appeared that the metalbender was enjoying herself up there—maybe a little bit _too much._

"Please make sure I don't end up in the same craft as Beifong," Tahno stated with a pleading note. Asami smiled at him reassuringly.

"I'll make sure you'll be with me," Asami told him. "I'm an expert pilot, so you won't have to worry with me in the cockpit."

"That's a relief at least," Tahno said.

"So—how's Mako? Has he awoken yet?" Asami changed the subject.

"Nah—he's still out of it," Tahno told her. "Whatever those idiot followers of your father did to him—the blow he received from them has really got him knocked out cold."

"I hope it isn't anything too serious," Asami stated, frowning. "From what Kya was able to discern that we weren't able to, the bump he received didn't look too serious. But with how long he's been out of it as a result—"

"Can't be certain how bad that knock to the head was, but I get the feeling Mako will probably come out of it by this evening," Tahno told her.

"I hope you're right," Asami replied.

"I'm pretty certain I am," Tahno replied. "Hey—good luck getting those two ready for our trip in the next couple days. With how _enthusiastic_ Beifong looks up there—" He glanced up towards the sky for a moment. "—You're going to need to utilize that time wisely." He sighed. "I need to get back to Air Temple Island—hopefully before Mako wakes up. I want to be the one who personally fills him in on everything—especially all the stuff that's going on with Avatar Korra. Plus—it'd probably not be smart to leave the airbender's kid, Jinora, and that skybison of theirs alone for too long."

The ex-bender was about to turn his back on her and head towards where Jinora was waiting for him when he heard Asami's voice coming from behind him. Asami had followed his pace; her voice had halted it.

"Hey, Tahno—can I say something?" the ex-bender turned to face her, expression quizzical.

"What'd you need to add, babe?" Tahno asked her. She hesitated a moment before replying, his icy blue gaze on her suddenly making her anxious.

"You really care about Mako, don't you?" Asami eventually asked. The ex-bender looked taken aback.

"What makes you say that?" Tahno exclaimed nervously.

"You were very protective of him last night while you were facing down my father, and the way you insisted on carrying him out of there yourself…" Asami trailed a moment. "…I got the feeling you really do care about him."

"I_ really _don't want to discuss my feelings for him," Tahno answered, perturbed. He turned away from her. "Look—I've got a little airbending girl and a furry bison to get back to, so good luck with those two's flying lessons." He looked skyward momentarily. "In Beifong's case…you're going to need it."

He took off before Asami could get another word in.

XoXoX

_Crinkling paper, ripping—revealing a narrow, brown box underneath—_

_The lid of the box discarded, and then—an excited gasp—_

"_Is this really for me?" The young, excited voice exclaimed._

"_Would I have handed it to you and told you to open it if it wasn't?" the voice of a familiar man spoke. The voice was warm and comforting—paternal. "Happy birthday." _

_Crinkling of yet more paper, a length of fabric being removed from its trappings and that of the box it had all been encased in—_

"_I love it," the young boy's voice said, so full of cheer and enthusiasm. "I'm going to wear it when we go out to dinner."_

"_Be careful not to stain it while you're eating," The man's voice lightheartedly gave him warning. "You wouldn't want to tarnish that nice, vivid red color with dark blotches, now would you?"_

"_Of course not!" The young boy declared. "I'll be careful. You'll see. My scarf's going to stay bright red for a very long time!"_

"_I'm sure it will, son," The man agreed wholeheartedly. "I'm sure it will."_

"Hey—you awake?" a voice pierced through the realm of dream and fantasy, bringing the memorable vision to an abrupt end. Mako emerged from the inner realms of his mind as that voice's presence brought him back towards reality. He opened his eyes to see a face hovering some distance above his. Eyes were focused on him—vivid, intense eyes the color of polar ice. Dark, slightly wavy hair fell in front of them, obscuring them somewhat.

"Hey, Fireboy—are you at all alert behind that gaze, or are you in a waking coma?" Lips that shared the same face as those bright, icy hued eyes moved, with a voice emerging from them; the words registered differently from the way they sounded and how his mind interpreted them. Mako blinked a few times, trying to bring some coherence to his thoughts. Those icy irises were focused on him, examining him all the while.

"Fireboy—your eyes are working, but is your mind functioning correctly?" A serious expression crossed that face, icy blues clouding over slightly in puzzlement. The face, Mako was acknowledging it from his perspective—the face was very expressive. Emotions, moods—they were openly displayed in all the facial expressions…curiosity, anger, joy, misery, pride, confusion, frustration—expressive, yes indeed—

"Mako?" The expression was of concern now. Concern that sent the curve of those lips that spoke downwards, created crease lines along the brow as it furrowed, chilled the ice in that icy blue stare—

A hand landed on his shoulder, shaking it softly. All comprehension came flooding back, instantly overwhelming the firebender for a moment, causing him to jolt up and look over to his side.

"Huh?" Mako stared blankly at the owner of those icy blue eyes, who had moved back when the firebender shot up in order to avoid some kind of collision between the two. The icy eyed, dark haired and pale complexioned ex-waterbender, Tahno.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Tahno grinned crookedly, his voice an odd mingling of anxiety and relief. As the world around the firebender started to register to his awareness in full, Mako could sense a dull throbbing at his temple. Almost on instinct, his hand rose up, fingers lightly pressing up against the flesh of his forehead as if searching for an external cause to the dulled pain. A small mound of swollen, possibly bruised skin protruded from the region, providing him with a source.

"What happened?" Mako asked. "How long have I been out, and how'd I get back here?" His eyes wandered around them, recognizing the familiarity that was his room.

"A couple of Hiroshi's cohorts knocked you out, and you've been down for the count for nearly a day," Tahno told him. "As for what happened while you were out—that's a tale in itself that's more than I can sum up in a couple sentences."

"Was Hiroshi apprehended? Did he get away?" Mako asked.

"He got away," Tahno told him, expression all of a sudden grave. "Um, Mako—there's a bunch of stuff I need to fill you in on. I—already told the rest of them about what's going on, but…I wanted to talk to you about the details one on one."

"Why?" Mako looked at him weirdly, sitting up straight.

"It involves a bunch of stuff—what Hiroshi's _really_ up to, a little thing about some turmoil that's running rampant with the Spirits right now—" Tahno hesitated a moment, turning his eyes to look off to the side. "—as well as some information I've managed to obtain from the Moon Spirit about Korra."

"Korra?" Mako's hand shot out to land on the ex-bender's shoulder. "What Information do you have on Korra? Is she okay? Where is she? What's going on—tell me." Tahno hesitantly brought his gaze back towards the firebender, a pang striking his heart at the pleading look of desperation at the depth of his auburn eyes.

"Korra's in the Spirit World," Tahno told him. "She's—um…Mako, you were right to believe she was being lured into a trap. A few spirits in the Spirit World, you see…they're opposed to humans being capable of bending the four elements—the Avatar most of all. They're…intent on bringing an end to the Avatar Cycle, and…they're also conspiring to bring an end…to all bending as we know it—utterly and completely."

"Why didn't you tell me that the Moon Spirit had given you information on Korra?" Mako exclaimed, clutching at the ex-bender's shoulders with both hands. "You _know_ how important that information is to me…why did you hesitate to _tell me_?!"

"We were in a hurry to investigate what Hiroshi was doing at Asami's place—_that's_ why!" Tahno cried exasperatedly. The firebender released the ex-bender's shoulders in surprise. "You didn't give me an opportunity to bring it up, and we were so busy trying to keep that dumbass's plans of bringing the whole mansion down around our ears from happening, it just didn't fit into the schedule—okay?" In aggravation, he rested his head in his hands, elbows propped up by his knees. The firebender blinked a few times as he let the words sink in.

"S-Sorry for jumping on you like that without thinking first. The whole thing with Korra missing so long…it's got me a bit uppity, I guess," Mako apologized. "You're right—the situation with Hiroshi didn't give us a lot of time to discuss it—much less bring it up." He shuffled his hands in his lap awkwardly. "So—what else is there? What happened during and after our escape from Hiroshi's underground factory?"

"The old bastard had his people planted a bunch of explosions along crucial places in the underground factory's foundation to bring the whole place under when he got that huge contraption of his out of there," Tahno told him. "He had a bunch of those followers of his detonate them, and we almost lost the mansion in the process—but Chief Beifong and her officers managed to save it from going under. They had to sacrifice Hiroshi's underground factory, however, to keep the place from sinking."

"How'd you all manage to get out before it had a chance to cave in?" Mako asked him.

"While I was out gathering info, I tackled one of those Equalist dudes when he wasn't expecting me and stole his shock sticks off him, and used them on a few of them—including the old bastard, Hiroshi, and the ones who were holding you captive while you were out of it," Tahno told him, grinning somewhat. "After I gave those guys a good _shock—_I stood my ground to keep them from retaking you, told the rest of them Hiroshi's plans for the workshop, and then hauled you out of there when we left the place before it was about to cave in on us."

"How did you all know that Hiroshi was planning to blow the place up?" Mako asked. "Did he reveal that in his plans before he took off or something?"

"Does the old bastard seem like the type who'd reveal that kind of info to his enemies?" Tahno asked him quizzically. The firebender shrugged. "I managed to get info about Hiroshi's plans for the place, and I warned everyone about it in time for all of us to act. _I _overheard him going over his plans. That ex-Councilman—Tarrlok or whatever—led me to where the crazy old man was discussing them, and gave me directions on how to remain inconspicuous along the way." He rolled his eyes. "I didn't deal with that dude much when he was alive, but that ex-Councilman is irritating to deal with."

"Yeah—I can understand that, having dealt with him before," Mako agreed. "I didn't know he was dead though."

"Yeah, he took himself and his brother—that crazy madman, Amon—out of this world and into the next," Tahno replied. "Back to Korra, the crazy happenings in the Spirit World, and Hiroshi—I need you to know that they're all tied together."

"Huh?" Mako looked at him, confused.

"Hiroshi plans to rid of bending permanently, and put an end to the Avatar Cycle—along with Korra. They're planning to have it all go into effect on the Summer Solstice, and—if we can't stop them by then…the after effects could be damning," Tahno informed him.

"Any idea how we're going to put a stop to this?" Mako asked him, sounding worried and uncertain. "If Korra's being held captive in the Spirit World—it's not like we can just bust our way in there, get her out, and put an end to their plans that easily."

"There _is_ a way to get Korra out of the Spirit World and put a stop to all of this once and for all," Tahno informed him, hesitating before adding, "But _we _won't be the ones handling it. According to the Moon Spirit—" he paused a moment. "—I'm the only one who can do it."

Mako's eyes widened. "What makes you the only one capable of handling this?"

"My ability to see and communicate with the spirits—_that's_ what makes me the only one able to enter the Spirit World outside the Solstices—according to the Moon Spirit anyways," Tahno told him. "Don't worry though, Mako—I promise I'll get Korra back to you, even if it ends up killing me in the process. After all you've done for me this past month or so—I owe you that much; I owe you _my life_."

"Why are you even talking about possibly getting killed in the process?" Mako questioned him critically. "Just try your damnedest to get Korra back and keep yourself alive in the process." The ex-bender downcast his gaze, angling his head downward so his hair was obscuring his eyes for a moment; in an instant, his head shot up, his face visibly expressing his anguish.

"My promise is to ensure that Korra gets out of this situation alive—it doesn't guarantee me _anything_," Tahno replied pointedly, his voice cracking terribly. "Damn it—it's because I freaking fell in _love with __**you**_that I'm willing to put_ myself_ on the line to get _her _back and make _you_ happy, okay?" The firebender tried to get in a brief response when the ex-bender paused momentarily, but he continued before Mako could get in a word. "Before we got to know each other better I wouldn't have done that kind of thing for her_ or_ you, and I'm sure you're well aware of_ that _fact. So be happy I'm willing to risk _my life_ to help_ you_ by helping _her _out!"

Mako looked at him mournfully. "Tahno, I don't—I mean, I—" Before he got any further, he was interrupted by the door to his room shooting open, and his brother making an entrance. Although his words were cut short, Mako couldn't help staring at the ex-bender solemnly.

"Glad to see you finally came to bro!" Bolin offered a relieved smile as he came to stand beside the bed near to where Tahno was sitting in his chair. "When you didn't wake up after a couple hours of being out of it, I worried that they really hit you hard. That bump on your forehead had me worrying that you might've received a concussion in the process—or possibly worse." He smiled brightly. "So, how long have you been conscious Mako? Did Tahno get a chance to fill you in on everything that's going on?"

"I've been awake for a little while at least," Mako told him, side-glancing at the ex-bender. Tahno's hair half obscured his face—possibly on purpose, he realized. "Long enough for Tahno to fill me in on most—if not all—the details."

"Well, while you were out of it—I sat in on Tenzin and Lin's discussion on what they're planning to do about all of that," Bolin replied. "Tenzin sent word to Commander Bumi about what they believe Hiroshi's planning to do with that big mecha of his, and Kya's gone on ahead to alert the folks in the Southern Water Tribe about what's going on. In another day or so, once you've had a chance to rest up bro, and Asami's had a chance to recover from the shock of all that's happened lately—we'll be heading off to the Southern Water Tribe as well. Since we can't all fit on Tenzin's skybison, Oogi, without tiring him out, Iroh's come in to help pilot one of Asami's biplanes. He just happened to be close by, so it all worked out. Asami's gonna be handling one of the other ones while another person—I think I heard Beifong volunteered to do it—is going to pilot the third. Travelling that way—we should reach the Southern Water Tribe in no time."

"What'll we be doing while we'll be in the Southern Water Tribe?" Mako asked his brother. "From what Tahno's told me—he'll be the only one able to go into the Spirit World to rescue Korra. We'll just be sitting turtleducks while we're waiting around."

"That's where you're wrong, bro," Bolin informed him while grinning brightly. "We'll be going up there to put a stop to Hiroshi's plan before he can execute it. From what Tahno managed to pick up—it sounds like Hiroshi's planning to use that big mecha of his to do some real damage with that thing. Tenzin's not sure what it is, but he got a sense there was something strange about that contraption of Hiroshi's. It was able to shoot eerie beams of blue light from it, and he doesn't believe that it's purely mechanical." He pointed his thumb in the ex-bender's directly casually, adding, "Hiroshi's been conversing with spirits a lot like Tahno has been, and I guess he's got something worked out between them."

"Is Hiroshi able to enter the Spirit World like Tahno says he's able to?" Mako asked his brother, eyes still on the ex-bender.

"Tenzin doesn't think so," Bolin replied. "He seems to think that might be what that mecha of Hiroshi's is designed for—that the crazy old businessman plans to use it to gain access to the Spirit World for himself." He shrugged. "That's a theory anyways. We're not one hundred percent sure what _exactly _Hiroshi's planning to use that thing for. That's just one of the theories that's making some sense right now."

"I'm going to go grab some grub," Tahno spoke up, voice unemotional and somewhat detached as he got up from his chair. "I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, and dinnertime's fading away fast. I'll see you two later." He turned his icy stare in Mako's direction for an instant. "Hope that bump heals. Later." And he was out of there without another word.

"Speaking of food—you hungry bro? Want me to bring something up for you?" Bolin spoke up after the ex-bender departed. His brother's voice broke Mako from his trance brought on by watching the ex-bender leave.

"Huh? Yeah, I'd appreciate it, Bo," Mako smiled wanly.

"Hey, Mako—you okay?" Bolin asked him, catching a hint of something off with his brother—sorrow, something—he couldn't quite figure.

"Yeah, It's just…I'm a little tired—and I've got a dull headache still from whatever caused this bump on my forehead," Mako pointed out the swollen lump above his temple. His brother acknowledged the bump.

"Yeah—that thing was pretty bad when we got you back here," Bolin noted, adding, "Kya managed to bring the size of that thing down before she had to leave. It looked like it would've hurt you a lot more before she healed it up for you." He smiled. "I'll go grab you something to eat, bro, so rest, relax—get better. We're gonna be running all over creation in the next day or two, so you're gonna need all your energy—" He made his way towards the door, ready to depart before he took a moment to turn and face his brother—finishing what he'd begun to say. "—Especially when Korra comes back."

Mako nodded, expressing a feeble smile at his brother before Bolin departed. The young earthbender got the sense that _something else_ was bugging his older brother, but he wasn't going to pressure Mako further for the information. He left, with that remaining a mystery.

Mako, meanwhile, let out a heavy sigh, knowing he couldn't exactly explain to his younger brother what his mind was troubled with. That would mean exposing Tahno's confession to him, and he wasn't sure how Bolin would react to something like that. Mako preferred to keep that to himself—no matter how troubled it all left him feeling.

XoXoX

The previous evening Mako hadn't managed anything more than restless tossing and turning through to the morning, partially due to the fact that he'd slept through the past twenty-four hours straight, and as a result wasn't all that tired—but also because his mind was fraught by Tahno's confession. He didn't know what to make of it, and he didn't know how—or what—to confront the ex-bender about the situation.

A few days managed to elapse since the last time Mako checked in to work, or—for that matter—with his superior, Ishio. Considering the fact that he would be leaving the city with the others for the South Pole shortly, the firebender figured it was only proper to at least inform Ishio of his upcoming absence.

The police station was busy during his midday visit. It took Mako a bit of searching and patience to locate his superior. When he managed to track Ishio down, the older man was just arriving from one of his cases involving a recent incident with one of the city's more notorious Triad gangs. He was just getting around to handling paperwork for the case when Mako walked in.

"Looks like today's been busy," Mako made his presence known with his verbal observation. Ishio looked up from his work and smiled.

"We've been having some good fortune tracking down members of some of the more troublesome Triads in the last few days. Anonymous tips have been flooding in recently about their current operations and where exactly to target them," Ishio informed him, adding, "You've been missing out on all the action, Mako. It's been a few days since I last saw you. How've things been?"

"Hectic," Mako noted simply. Ishio laughed heartily then.

"Yeah—I've been hearing about what's been going on in your department lately. Your ex-girlfriend's place almost sunk into the ground due to some fringe Equalist activity led on by that fugitive father of hers, Hiroshi Sato. Heard the man's gone extreme—has been _'conversing with the spirits'_ since his incarceration inß isolation during lockup, and is planning to go a step or two further than Amon was planning to with his agenda. After Amon was revealed as being a hypocrite to his former followers, many of them are skeptical to believe this convict's claims and follow him, but there are still some who are buying into it. Enough of them to help him break into the Sato Estate and the workshop that used to be underneath it anyways."

"What else have you picked up about Hiroshi's activities?" Mako asked him. "And—have there been any reports to indicate whether he is still in the city or not?"

"Well—we'd picked up hints of Hiroshi putting on a few rallies to gather his _allies _to his cause more recently before we lost track of his whereabouts altogether," Ishio informed him. "Reports seem to suggest Hiroshi's left the city to tackle his ventures elsewhere. Where that might be though…nobody's certain, Mako."

"Speaking of Hiroshi—Tahno discovered that the mad former businessman's got plans down at the south pole, so me, Bo, Asami, Tahno, and a few others are heading down there to put a stop to his plans before Hiroshi can execute them," Mako told him. Ishio nodded.

"Chief Beifong filled me in on all the details before she told me to fill in for her while she's gone," Ishio told him. "I guess she sees something in me that she finds trustworthy enough to keep an eye on the operation while she's out."

"You handle every case you tackle fairly, and remain unbiased regardless of whether they're benders or nonbenders Ishio. I'm sure Lin sees something admirable in that fact," Mako pointed out to his superior. "Probably doesn't hurt that you don't use your bending to intimidate the criminals you deal with like some people do."

Ishio acknowledged the firebender's words with a wistful smile. "That's a trait I learned while growing up. Do you remember the brother I mentioned to you sometime back, Mako? The one I told you about that committed suicide a while ago?"

"Yeah, I think so," Mako replied. "Are you talking about the one you said went through something similar to what Tahno did?"

"Yes, that's the one," Ishio replied. "My brother—he was a nonbender. I never treated him any differently because I was a bender and he wasn't." He got lost in his thoughts for a moment. "Akio had an ingenious mind. He could've gone on to invent the automobile before Sato sketched out a blueprint for his own design with the Satomobile, or designed something more impressive than that even. Also had an eye for beauty. Created some spectacular works of art before even reaching the age of twenty. Bending is a special ability, but what Akio had—" Something tragic shown in the very depths of his evergreen orbs. "I wish I could've had even half of the intelligence that he possessed. Bending…unless you're the Avatar or you can achieve a specialized form of your particular bending talent, you're just doing the same moves that most everyone else with the same ability's able to do. Intelligence though…it makes a person unique—and that's what Akio was." He sighed dolefully. "It's just unfortunate that all that was wasted due to somebody's actions made out of ignorance."

"Sounds like you were close to your brother Akio," Mako said to him. His superior lost that sorrowed, nostalgic look in his eyes and smiled sadly at him.

"We were. I didn't care who or what he was, or who or what he loved—I admired and loved my brother Akio for what he _was—_a brilliant soul who had so much to contribute. It's because of what happened to him that I joined the police force in the first place. It's my goal to bring justice to the people who face injustice to the best of my ability," Ishio told him. "Speaking of my brother and all that—how're things going with that ex-waterbender friend of yours, Tahno?"

"I don't feel comfortable telling anybody else about this, but—" Mako looked around to be certain nobody else was nearby to overhear him. He continued when he noticed it was thankfully just the two of them. "First off—we're about to embark on a journey to rescue Korra from the Spirit World via the Southern Water Tribe, and Tahno's the one who's going to enter the Spirit World to bring her back. If I wasn't already troubled enough worrying about Korra—Tahno had to go and admit that he's…ahem—fallen in love with me. I know that took a lot for him to admit it, and I don't want to hurt him after all he's been through, but…I don't know…I love Korra, but—I don't know…" He put his hand to his forehead as his churning thoughts overwhelmed him. The lump that was only still vaguely present at his temple throbbed faintly.

"Afraid to hurt him because you're straight and can't feel the same way back?" Ishio asked him. The firebender removed his hand from his forehead and brought his gaze up to his superior.

"Strange thing for me is—that's not the problem," Mako responded, his gaze becoming intensely serious all of a sudden. "Ishio—you can't mention anything I'm about to tell you to another soul—not even my brother, Bolin—but…this whole thing's gotten me confused. I think that I've…developed feelings for Tahno, _but_—I _can't_ hurt Korra the same way I hurt Asami. I have no problems with him being attracted to me like he is—I admit the feeling could be mutual, that I _might…_love him back—but I'm worried about what it could do to my current relationship with Korra. I don't want to jeopardize it—especially when she's in danger like she is right now, and—ugh, I don't know how I keep getting myself caught up in these messes." He took a seat and put his head in his hands.

"Just relax, Mako," Ishio told him, his voice reassuring. "You're young; you'll get these things worked out eventually."

"If you were put in this situation, Ishio—what would you do?" Mako asked his superior. Ishio rubbed at his chin, deep in thought for a few moments.

"Admittedly—I don't know," Ishio replied, shrugging. "You've gotta figure this one out for yourself, hotman. Find out whom you feel the most for, and try to hurt the other party as little as possible. All I can suggest is be as tactful as you can try to be and keep it all from backfiring on you. Other than that, I can only wish you good luck with it, Mako."

"I should probably get back to the island and rest up some for the trip," Mako got to his feet, his head throbbing slightly as he stood up. "The bump I received to the head during that Hiroshi incident at Asami's place is still bothering me a little, and I'd rather lay down and take it easy before I end up getting dizzy."

"Take a breather, relax—and good luck on your journey," Ishio told him. "You can tell me how it went when you return—hopefully with Korra coming back with you all."

"I hope so, Ishio," Mako smiled weakly at him before turning towards the door. "See you later, and enjoy the promotion—even if it's just temporary."

"See you, hotman—and good luck," Ishio repeated. Mako didn't respond, only smiling as he left.

XoXoX

Asami arrived at the airstrip early to get all the preparations taken care of before their departure. She wanted to be certain that nothing failed in transit, making it a near obsession to check every working gear, every mechanism with the keenest eye.

A day and a half had passed since Mako awoke from his _comatose _state, and in that time Asami managed to get Lin and Iroh comfortable enough with the biplanes' controls for her liking. Lin was still a bit of a wild woman in the cockpit (Asami was starting to presume that part of the metalbender's aerial antics had a connection with her bending itself), but she was competent enough as a pilot that Asami figured whoever ended up being her passenger wouldn't be afraid to fly with her throughout the whole trip.

An hour after she arrived the other two pilots showed up to get in some last minute practice before their big flight later that afternoon. While Asami stood around watching their progress in the skies, the rest of the group arrived via Tenzin's skybison. That included the two bending brothers, Mako and Bolin, the ex-bender Tahno, as well as Pema and Tenzin's four children.

Asami watched with amusement as Ikki and Meelo pointed animatedly up towards the sky, jumping up and down with excitement. Ikki especially squealed in awe at the biplanes as they came zipping across the horizons.

Half an hour after the group's arrival the two pilots brought their crafts in, making pretty decent landings on the runway thanks to a couple days' worth practice. Lin exited the cockpit enthusiastically, in a way that almost seemed out of character. Iroh followed suit, albeit keeping himself more calm and self composed. As the two approached the rest of the recently arrived gathering, Ikki and Meelo _sped_ their way over to the newly landed biplanes, marveling over their construction and crawling all over their frames.

"Daddy, Daddy! I wanna take a ride in one of the biplanes! It looked so cool flying up there in the sky!" Ikki had comfortably seated herself in the passenger seat of one of the crafts, radiantly smiling. "Can I get a chance to fly in one of these before they take off, Daddy? Please, please, _please?"_

"Ikki, Meelo! Get away from those this instant!" Tenzin ran over to reign in his two overly inquisitive children, afraid that they either might do some damage to the biplanes or to themselves. "Those planes are armed and dangerous! One wrong press of a button and you both could blow this whole airstrip sky high!"

Ikki looked at the controls in front of her with an expression of horror. She quickly _ejected_ herself from the seat, carefully becoming airborne in a way as to prevent an accidental press of one of those buttons her father warned her about. Meelo quickly followed suit, launching himself into the air and away from the craft's shiny metallic frame. After Tenzin managed to rein in his two young children and bring them back to the main group, they got down to business, with Asami starting them off.

"The biplanes are capable of covering vast distances in a short period of time. I've spent the last several months working on their revisions from my father's original designs and giving them test flights to ensure that they'll provide acceptable performances without breaking down in midflight." Asami extended her arm towards the three crafts, bringing the gaze of all who were present towards them. "I've also spent the last several months working out a contract with the United Forces on acquiring some of my revised designs when they were through being thoroughly tested."

"In the meantime, the Untied Forces have been working on revising designs to a few ships in their fleet to accommodate a landing strip for the biplanes while at sea. They've been working with a few of my engineers and some specialized metalbenders in designing their construction. Although it's still in it's experimental stages, they've informed me that they have one sea-ready model that Commander Bumi plans to use to meet up with us about three fourths of the way to the Southern Water Tribe. I'm still unsure if the biplanes can take the cold, frigid temperatures of the poles, so I'm not going to chance it until I can be sure it's safe. We'll make the rest of the trip from there by ship, which should only take a day, or so I've been told."

"The newly revised design allows for two _crew_ aboard each craft," Asami went on. "There are weapons controls in the second cockpit, but those won't be necessary for our purposes, since we're just using these for faster travel—and not as weapons. They'll be armed regardless—so be careful of accidently bumping into any buttons. They could trigger a missile release without warning, and we wouldn't want that." There were a few responding cringes made amongst the group.

"Are you certain you'll be able to handle piloting the third craft, Lin?" Tenzin questioned the metalbender. She gave him a stern look.

"Asami was pretty thorough running me through the mechanics of piloting the craft, and besides—" Lin displayed a self-satisfied grin. "—I've been getting in some practice sessions flying the craft while the firebender was recovering, and it's a breeze to steer and fly. Also gave me the sense of freedom in the air that I'm pretty sure comes as second nature to you airbenders. Plus—the metal frame gives me some advantages over steering it in midflight."

"Was there anything else you needed to inform us about before you all take off, Asami?" Tenzin asked her.

"Probably who's going to be where," Asami replied. "Since I know the two can work well together from past experience, I think Bolin should go with Iroh. Mako and Lin's personalities don't clash too much, so it would probably be okay if those two fly together, and Tahno's going with me." She looked around at everyone present, checking their expressions for reactions. "Everyone okay with that plan?"

"Works for me," Bolin stated with a grin. Iroh gave an agreeable nod. Mako and Lin both shrugged without saying anything. Tahno gave a silent, hesitant nod.

"All that's left to do then is get everyone situated with the proper gear before we get ready for takeoff," Asami stated. "I'll get everyone that hasn't been set up yet situated with the proper gear for while we're in flight."

As she led the group over to the hangar, Tahno separated himself from them by staying behind, hoping they'd remain oblivious to his absence for a little while at least. The last couple of days had been hectic; they were filled with him being bombarded with constant questioning about his knowledge of Hiroshi Sato's plans from the living, and random visitations made to him by the deceased. Adding to that the stress of accidently confessing his feelings for Mako to the firebender himself—

"Hey—I wanted to make sure I wished you good luck out there, man." Tahno turned abruptly to face the ex-earthbender's specter standing there. It was Ming, with his arms casually resting at his sides, a wistful smile on his face. "Not sure if I'll see you again anytime soon, so—I hope you pull it off man. Go out there and do your damnedest to retrieve the Avatar from the Spirit World."

"I kind of thought you'd try tagging along for the trip," Tahno crossed his arms over his chest. "So why say our goodbyes right now?"

"I won't be going with you, Tahno," Ming told him, a glint of remorse in his cool gray eyes. "I can't leave the city. Unfortunately—I'm permanently bound here." He stomped his feet on the ground to indicate his point. "Committing suicide in the city has kinda bound me to it. Unless a stronger spiritual force compels me from outside the city limits, I can't leave on my own accord. Plus—there's a chance we might not see each other again for a very long time. You'll get your bending back once the Avatar's returned, and after that's happened you won't be able to see me anymore. Which I guess I'll be okay with that, since you'll be whole again and able to live your life the way you want to." He smiled sadly.

"Seriously—I get my bending back, and I won't be able to see and communicate with spirits anymore? Including you?" Tahno exclaimed. The ex-earthbender gave a very sober nod in response. "Damn it, Ming, if it'll come to that—I'd rather give up the opportunity to get my bending back if it means I won't be able to see you anymore."

"You've gotta get your bending back, man," Ming insisted. "You'll never be whole again until you've had it returned, and I'm willing to give up ever speaking to you again while you're still alive so that you can continue to keep on_ living_." He approached the ex-waterbender, resting his spectral hands on each of the former waterbender's shoulders with a pleading look in the depths of his pale gray orbs.

"Well, hey—if I don't survive this whole ordeal, you'll be seeing me on your side sooner than later," Tahno tried offering as a reassurance, but Ming obviously didn't accept it as that.

"No." Ming stared at him sternly. "After all I went through to keep you from crumbling—after all that the Fire Ferrets firebender, Mako, has gone though for you to keep you alive…I won't accept that answer from you. _You'll _get out of this alive, _you'll_ get your bending back—and _you'll_ be _happy_." He brought one hand up to the side of the former waterbender's face. "That's what I've wanted for you all along man. I didn't go through all this just to see you lose it all in the end." His hand had some substance to it; Tahno could sense his best friend's fingers as they individually traced his chin, caressed the sides of his cheeks, took the time to clear the tears that were welling at the corners of his ice blue eyes—

Those icy blues shut out the world as the ex-earthbender leaned in closer. The sensation was faint—like the light caressing of butterfly wings against his lips. But it was evident, it was real—and it felt so_ final_. Which he came to grimly realize when he opened his eyes again—and Ming was no longer there. Tahno wasn't alone, however, as he soon came to realize that he had company standing there, silently staring at him. Tenzin's eldest daughter, Jinora, had her sorrowful, chocolate brown gaze focused directly on him.

"Okay, kid—do you enjoy staring at me, or was there something you wanted?" Tahno questioned, perturbed.

"My dad appointed me to keep an eye on you while you were down when you first arrived at Air Temple Island, and—well…in the process I managed to observe a lot of things. It made me sad to see you struggle so much over your friend's death and the abuse you've been put through since Amon took away your bending, and—well…" Jinora hesitated a moment, gathering her thoughts. "…From what I saw of your conversations with your boyfriend's spirit, Ming—I know that you must've really loved him, and…I hope that you can find love like that again."

"Okay, kid—_how much_ did you manage to overhear of my conversations?" Tahno crossed his arms, quirking an eyebrow.

"First, can you stop referring to me as _kid?_" Jinora asked him.

"Okay, okay—I'll call you Jinora from now on, geez," Tahno rolled his eyes. Jinora smiled.

"Thank you. Well—I was there the night you fell off the pier. I also hung around a while after Mako told me he needed to have a private chat with you the day you had your breakdown during the storm," something tragic lingered in the depths of Jinora's brown eyes just then. The ex-bender anxiously expected her to go into more detail about that day, but he sighed in relief when she didn't elaborate on it. "I also know that you really care about Mako, and I can understand why. He's very brave and kindhearted, and he really helped you out when you were down. He's also quite handsome."

"Kid—I mean _Jinora—_I think you're a little young to think you understand things like romance. Life's not like those silly stories you can read in romance novels," Tahno shook his head, smiling faintly. "Plus—what gave you the idea I had romantic feelings for Mako? Don't you know that idea's kind of ridiculous?"

"Love's never ridiculous," Jinora countered, catching the ex-bender a bit off guard. "I know love's not like in books, but I also know its real—and that that's how you feel about Mako. I was eavesdropping because Bolin wanted to know when his brother woke up, and I overheard you confessing it to Mako the other evening when I brought Bolin to Mako's room. I _know _that_ that's_ how you feel about him, even though he also _loves _Korra."

"Was all this shi—_stuff_ that you're mentioning what you came to confront me about, or was there something more important you had to say to me?" Tahno questioned her irritably. The young airbender sighed.

"I also came to tell you that Aunt Kya told me she's got a surprise waiting for you when you get to the Southern Water Tribe, and I hope you'll enjoy it when she shows it to you," Jinora told him. She smiled sheepishly. "And…I also wanted to tell you that I think that you're very handsome." The young airbender rose up effortlessly into the air and planted a quick peck on the ex-bender's cheek, pulling away and putting distance between them before he even had the chance to blink. "Good luck rescuing Korra from the Spirit World, and I'm glad to see you're not depressed anymore."

Before the ex-bender even had a chance to comprehend what the young airbender just said or did, she was out of sight. His eyes searched all around him for her whereabouts, but he couldn't find her. He almost jumped out of his skin when a hand abruptly landed on his shoulder, causing him to turn sharply to face the culprit.

"I noticed that you were absent while I was getting everyone else situated with their gear," He came face to face with Asami, who was holding up a few different items in her hand. "Goggles to protect you eyes, gloves to protect your hands against the elements—you know, things you'll need to keep you from getting cut up hands or going blind while we're up there." She held them out to him. "They're not exactly fashionable, but they do their job to offer protection where you'll need it."

"Yeah," Tahno replied quickly, taking them from her. "Does it look like everyone's ready to take off?"

"You must've really been preoccupied," Asami mused, smiling faintly. "Lin and Iroh have already gotten themselves situated in the cockpits of their planes, and the other two are already in their passenger seats. We're just waiting for you, Tahno."

"Let's get going then," Tahno told her. "I don't think I care to linger here any longer than I need to."

"Why? Did something happen?" Asami looked at him quizzically.

"Nah," Tahno fibbed. He began heading in the direction of whirring propellers. He turned his gaze in her direction when he noticed she wasn't following. "Are you coming, babe?"

"Yeah, pretty boy, I'm coming," Asami assured him. "Get going. I'll be right behind you."

XoXoX

The connection between Republic City and the location at sea where Commander Bumi reported he'd be stationed at took a day and a half to fly, and the rest of the trip from there to their final destination took another day and a half by sea. The delay in their flight had been a resulting combination of making refueling stops, stopping for rest breaks, and getting food. Tenzin had sent word ahead to officials in major locations along the way to keep an eye out for them, and provide them with help if they needed it.

The trip felt like it took a few days longer than it had, so the party was relieved when the Southern Water Tribe came into view of the vessel they were traveling on.

Tahno watched the approach of land (or more so, glacial ice that served as solid ground)—still a mile or so away—from the railing of the upper deck of the seafaring vessel they'd all boarded the day before, recalling tales told to him about the great southern tribe. He remembered from his youth how his mother wished to someday step foot in the revitalized jewel of the water tribes. Thinking back to those memories, he wondered what ever became of her—if she was still alive even. They had been close, and it panged at his heart to recall the distance that had grown between them over the years.

"I know you would've wanted to be here to see this…" he murmured aloud to himself, sighing. His eyes wandered to the churning waters below, feeling that faint urge—that lingering longing—that he still held for the element, even though he and his ability to control it were still detached.

"Who would've wanted to see this?" the ex-bender missed the approach of footsteps and was unprepared for the unexpected source of the voice. He did a rapid turn to face the culprit, the firebender he was currently emotionally at odds with. Mako.

"M-my m-mother," Tahno stammered. "She used to tell me tales about the Southern Water Tribe—how it dwindled to next to nothing by the end of the hundred-year war, what it was like before the Fire Nation damaged it during the war, and how it bounced back in the last seventy years or so. She'd also verbally daydream about one day stepping foot in the place. I guess it was a dream of hers since childhood. Don't know if she'll ever get the chance to achieve that dream—seeing as we haven't spoken in at least three years or so."

"Were she and you close?" Mako asked him, leaning against the railing by the ex-bender's side.

"We used to be—before me and my dad stopped being on speaking terms with each other," Tahno's eyes wandered over to the ice-constructed civilization that was fast approaching. "Um…Mako—about that thing I blurted to you back on Air Temple Island—"

"I wanted to speak to you about that when we can find somewhere private once we reach the Southern Water Tribe," Mako cut him off in midsentence. "I've—been thinking a lot about what you said, and…there's a lot we need to discuss about that, but…not here—not now."

Tahno stared at him, words lost to him for a moment. "Okay, sure." He eventually managed.

"Hey—are you cold at all? It gets kind of chilly down here near the pole," Mako asked him. The ex-bender's thoughts had been so consumed by his awkwardness being near the firebender and being reminded of his memories of his mother that the fact that he was shivering didn't register in his mind. Now though—now that the firebender had pointed out the fact—he realized just how cold the air temperature really was.

"Yeah—now that I think about it, I am a bit chilled," Tahno admitted.

"You'll get used to the chill once you've been exposed to it for a while," Mako assured him. "In the meantime—here." He unraveled the crimson scarf from around his neck and handed it over to the startled ex-bender. "This should help keep you warm."

Tahno hesitated taking the precious length of red fabric from the firebender—his eyes wide, startled. "I thought that scarf meant a lot to you. Why're you offering it to me?"

"I don't want you to catch a cold, and it's all I've got to offer," Mako informed him. He thrust his hand out further. "Take it—I insist. If you end up ill—you won't be able to head out into the terrain to make your way to the Spirit World, or for that matter to save Korra. Plus…I don't want you to end up getting sick, so just…accept the offer—okay?" His expression was determined, unbending. "Just—make sure nothing happens to it. As you know—it was a gift from my father."

Tahno slowly and gently reached for the fabric Mako was holding out to him, moved. "I promise not to let anything happen to it, Mako."

"I'm going to go check in with Commander Bumi, see if he's heard anything from anyone in the Southern Water Tribe, as well as how long it'll be before we dock," Mako told him. Before he turned to head off, he added, "I'll see you again shortly, Tahno. Keep warm." He left the ex-bender standing there alone, stunned, with the precious fabric memento still dangling loosely from his hand.

Tahno's eyes were slowly drawn to the scarf in his grasp, barely comprehending the effect the gesture had on him. Hesitantly, and with care, he unraveled the fabric and wrapped it around his neck, breathing in the firebender's scent through the fabric as he took in a few deep breathes. He wasn't sure if he should believe the gesture meant more than what the firebender's words seemed to suggest, but he was grateful regardless.


	10. Chapter 10

The Southern Water Tribe had looked impressive from where Tahno was able to see it while they were still out at sea. Commander Bumi gave the orders to his crew to bypass the main _ice metropolis_ to port at a more isolated location—one the Commander shouted, with vigor—was located near where they were all headed next, the headquarters in the South Pole for the Order of the White Lotus, known also as the Southern Water Tribe Compound.

_This is where Korra trained with her other bending instructors before she arrived in Republic City, _Mako had pointed out to him while the ship was being docked.

Now, the ex-bender and the rest of his party were waiting at the closed gates to the compound for the guard to give the okay to allow them entry. Tahno shivered as he stood there, eyes wandering around the frozen tundra that spread out around them in every direction. Everywhere his eyes landed was covered in ice—one long stretch of ice blue and crystalline ivory landscape and structures.

In the distance his eyes spotted something—a dark anomaly against the much lighter backdrop. The dark anomaly—a blob with form to it—looked like some type of creature he was unfamiliar with. He knew about the polar bear dogs, penguin seals, and some of the other animal species that inhabited the region—but this creature, whatever it was—didn't look like anything he'd heard about or recognized. Even though it was far off, the ex-bender easily noticed the creature's hulking stature.

"Hey, Tahno—you coming?" Asami's voice took his concentration away from the creature in the distance. He noticed while he was preoccupied with that the gate was opened and the rest of his party had already headed inwards. Asami was the only one who stayed behind to remind him that they were heading in.

"Uh, yeah," Tahno responded. He looked back out towards where the creature was, and noticed it wasn't there.

"See something unusual out there?" Asami was by his side. Startled a bit, he shook his head to clear it.

"Thought I had. Some kind of creature I didn't recognize—but it must've just been my imagination, because it's no longer out there," Tahno informed her.

"You stare out at the ice for too long—it can sometimes have that effect on you," Asami replied. She rested her hand on his shoulder. "We should get inside. You're freezing."

"Yeah." Tahno looked at her, arching an eyebrow at her weirdly when he noticed her staring at him strangely. "What?"

"Is that…Mako's scarf you're wearing?" Asami asked him. The ex-bender fingered the red fabric carefully.

"He offered it to me while we were still aboard the ship," Tahno explained. "Let's catch up to the rest of them. This scarf is helping, but I'm still freezing my ass off out here."

"That…was nice of him," Asami commented. "Yeah…let's catch up to the rest of the group before they forget we're out here and lock the gate in our faces. "

Tahno said nothing, only cringing at that idea.

XoXoX

"We'll give the six of you a little time to settle in before we get to the debriefing," An official from the Order was informing the newcomers as Asami and Tahno joined them. "Kya's insisted on showing a few of you around the compound, and making sure you all have had something to eat before we move on to more pressing matters. So, enjoy this period of adjustment, and we'll see each other again in a few hours." He then turned and departed, leaving the party in Kya's care.

"Since many of you didn't get the chance to _gear up_ for the frigid cold of the South Pole, I'm going to set you all up with something to keep you especially warm," Kya stated, smiling radiantly. "We sure wouldn't want any of our guests to freeze, now would we—mother?" she looked off to the side to address an elder member of the water tribe who happened to be present—a pleasant seeming elder woman with wisdom in the depths of her still somewhat youthful azure eyes.

"Of course we wouldn't Kya," the woman responded warmly. Her eyes examined all the present faces, landing on the ex-bender last. "Most of you already know me, but for those who I haven't met—" her eyes remained fixated on Tahno. "—I am Katara. I'll leave you all in my daughter's care for the time being, and I'll see you all again at the briefing." Kya's eyes wandered in the direction her mother's were focused, smiling exuberantly when she spied the ex-bender's presence there.

"We'll see you in a bit, mom. Take care till then," Kya gave the elderly woman a hug before she departed, and then turned her attention back towards the party—specifically, for some odd reason the ex-bender couldn't grasp—Tahno. "Lin—it's been a while since we last spoke!" She unexpectedly embraced the metalbender like they were sisters, much to Lin's chagrin at such a public display of affection. "How've things been since you got your bending back and went back to work as the chief of Republic City's police force?"

"Fine, Kya—just fine," Lin managed through the crushing embrace.

Kya let her go and moved on to somebody else. "Bolin, Mako and Asami! It's so good to see you all again! And, oh—is that Iroh I see standing there? You've surely got your grandfather's eyes, and you seem to grow more handsome every time I see you!"

"Pleasure to see you again too, Kya," Iroh responded with a casual smile.

"And Tahno—" Kya set her sights on the ex-bender again. "Did Jinora get a chance to speak with you before your departure from Republic City?"

"The kid told me you've got some kind of surprise waiting for me or something," Tahno looked around nervously. "Is it around here somewhere, or is it on you?"

"I'll show you your surprise a little later, but first—" Kya startled the ex-bender with a big hug. "I wanted to give you a warm welcome to the Southern Water Tribe." As she pulled herself away from him, "You're freezing! We need to get you situated with some warmer clothing before that handsome face of yours gets tarnished by frostbite!" She looked around at the rest of the gathering. "Let's get you all set up with something warmer to wear, and then get you all situated with something warm to eat. There's a lot the officials have to discuss with you, so let's get you all settled in before moving on to that." She showed them to where some warmer garments were laid out for them, and then led the group off to eat.

XoXoX

The debriefing was quick. The high-ranking officials gathered their six guests, along with Kya, her mother, Katara, Korra's parents and a few other faces, and discussed the matter at hand. At first it appeared that they questioned the validity of the ex-bender's claim, but four of the other five consisting of Tahno's party—Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Lin Beifong—gave him support and managed to convince the Council of the validity of Tahno's claims. Afterwards, the different parties went their separate ways. While the members of the Order went back to their duties, the six new arrivals gathered out in the Avatar's training arena along with Kya, her mother Katara, and Korra's parents.

"Bolin, Mako—it's good to see the both of you again," Korra's mother, Senna, told the two brothers. "And Asami, you as well. Lin—I remember you from the last time you were here. It's good to see you're doing well." She smiled brightly before her eyes wandered over to the ex-bender. "I don't think we've been properly introduced."

Kya moved away from her mother's side to stand beside the ex-bender. Much to his discontent in the matter, she casually draped one arm around his shoulders. Her attention all the while was on Korra's mother, Senna. "You've met Kanani, right?"

"Are you talking about Nani, the one Unrak married about two years ago?" Tonraq, her husband and Korra's father, inquired. "The one who moved down here from Republic City, I believe?"

"Yes, she's the one," Kya stated, looking again at the now obviously bewildered ex-bender beside her. "This is Nani's boy. His name's Tahno. One day, when we were chatting with one another about Republic City, she mentioned having son. She told me they've been estranged from each other for the past three years. By some mere coincidence, my younger brother Tenzin was keeping him on Air Temple Island when I arrived there not too long ago."

"It's nice to meet you, Tahno. Kanani's a very nice person," Senna greeted the ex-bender warmly. "You must take after her. You look a lot like her, and she's a very gifted waterbender."

Tahno managed to recover enough of his nerve to provide a response. "I guess I take after her looks-wise, but I was never as good at bending as she is. Especially now."

"Why would that be?" Senna inquired out of innocent curiosity.

"During the probending Championship Tournament, Amon showed up directly after the match was over. While trying to make a public statement for the purpose of his campaign, Amon stripped Tahno and his teammates of their bending on the arena platform," Mako informed her. "Much like what he did to Korra before she managed to find a way to restore it through her consultation with Avatar Aang's spirit."

"That's a shame you had to go through something like that," Tonraq said to the ex-bender sympathetically. "I remember how devastated Korra was after Amon took her bending, and I can only imagine what you must've gone through based on that."

"I've managed to adjust, but I still agonize over the loss a little from time to time," Tahno responded. He turned his attention to Kya, whose arm was still draped around his shoulders, a placid smile across her face. "You really mean to tell me my _mother's __**here**_—in the _Southern Water Tribe?"_ He exclaimed incredulously. She nodded, the smile never leaving her face.

"She's been here for the past three years," Kya responded. "And that would be the surprise I was telling you about." She removed her arm from around his shoulders. "When I returned a few days ago, I informed your mother that you would be arriving shortly, and she's been looking forward to your arrival since then, Tahno."

She continued to smile brightly as she looked at him for an instant before heading off somewhere. When Kya returned, there was a somewhat paler-skinned woman with long, dark hair, light teal hued eyes and a decently handsome, broad-shouldered water tribesman accompanying her.

Tahno was at a loss for words as the woman accompanying Kya released her grip on the broad-shouldered man's hand and rushed over to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly in a nearly crushing embrace. His muscles, tensed and stiff, kept him from being capable of moving even one of them while he remained in his mother's warm grasp. Eventually his muscles relaxed, and he sunk into the embrace and started to softly cry.

XoXoX

_The realm in which Tahno found himself was unfamiliar. When he first entered it, he'd looked up to the sky—or what passed for a sky in this realm, wherever it was. The color scheme seemed dull, sepia-toned; the branches of a behemoth of a twisted, gnarled tree stretched upwards all the way towards the ocher hued sky; at ground level, where he currently stood, there was a cave below that massive tree that appeared dark, foreboding. His instincts at the back of his consciousness were telling him to enter with caution—if he were to enter the cave at all. He garnered up the nerve to move forward, taking each step slowly and filled with a sense of lingering apprehension._

_Outside the cave, there had been life. Even in that dull, dreary realm creatures moved about, going on with their daily business as if he weren't even there. Most of the creatures he'd seen were unusual, extraordinary—unlike any he'd seen or heard of before; behemoths that rose higher even then the gnarled tree had, or ones that didn't exist in any reality he was knowledgeable of._

_In this cavern, however, it seemed empty—devoid, even—of much life. It was earthen, dark—lacking; it was the lair of a creature that preferred to keep the rest __**out**__. Or maybe it was everything else that preferred to keep away—_

_He put his thoughts of those various oddities roaming the realm, and the fact that this cavern seemed to be at a lack of them, towards the back of his mind as he pressed forward._

_At the heart of the dreary cave, he met up with on of the most unusual creatures he'd ever chanced upon meeting. It was massive, much like everything else in this realm, although—even in it's huge proportions—it was still dwarfed by everything else that existed around it. Its frame—long and coiling—was insect-like, closest in resemblance to a centipede or something of the sort. It had a range of insect-like appendages protruding from the anterior of its body, which—at that very moment—was turned away from him. He could only imagine what the front of the creature itself looked like—_

"_It's not often I receive visitors," Through the cavern there echoed an unexpectedly humanoid voice. It appeared its source was the creature before him, its back still facing towards him. "It is…most welcoming when I do."_

_Tahno wanted to speak up—demand what drew him there, why he was there in the first place—but the words got stuck at the back of his throat. He fought to gather the willpower to spill them forth, even just a little._

"_W-what are you?" he eventually managed to say. A low rumble—laughter?—emitted forth from the creature then._

"_I'm an ancient spirit," it responded in that same all too eerily human voice. "More ancient than most others whom exist—in this realm, the Spirit World, or yours for that matter. I've seen much, and know much." The creature turned to face him, with the most disproportionate face attached to the creature's frontal base that he'd ever seen. It was human-like in appearance, an anomaly on that insect-like frame._

_Tahno froze as it skittered over towards him on its centipede-like appendages, not moving a muscle as it came near. "You're more unique than most other visitors I receive in my realm," it said to him. "You're capable of breaking through the barriers of the two realms—yours and my own. The only other human visitors I receive that are more unique than you are from the Avatar line." It did a quick face change—from the porcelain white mask-like face with carmine lips to one with monkey-like features. It got in the ex-bender's face, trying to terrorize him with a primal screech. When he managed to hold himself together, and not offer a reaction—it's face transitioned back to the original with the carmine lips. _

_Tahno didn't understand the importance of keeping a neutral expression just then; he'd been so frozen up with fear of the creature that he could barely register a reaction outwardly. Instead he was twisting up in terror on the inside—which was probably his saving grace—if he'd only known. The creature seemed agitated that it's actions hadn't garnered a response, but it shrugged it off quickly. _

"_Can I tell you a tale?" It asked him. Tahno nodded slowly, his muscles unexpectedly rigid. "I'm going to tell you the tale of Avatar Kuruk." It paused, making another facial shift—possibly for dramatic effect. "Kuruk was a carefree man hailing from the Northern Water Tribe. In his era he knew peace, but in this peace Kuruk became too carefree, arrogant—needing to abuse his gifts in frivolous contests and displays of his talent. Such an absurd thing for an Avatar to do—wouldn't you agree?" It got right in his face, breathing its bad breath right into his nostril stream. His fear kept the ex-bender from taking in a deep whiff of it, keeping him from making yet another error by reacting visibly to it._

"_Yeah—I-I guess Kuruk was being pretty damn absurd," Tahno forced out in agreement. The creature seemed satisfied with his words._

"_Glad we have come to an agreement on the matter," the creature went on. "Well, Kuruk was carefree—a show-off, I guess you might describe him as—and as a result…very arrogant. You see—it is not the Avatar's responsibility to become arrogant; they prove to be a poor role model for the rest of humanity when they become too self-absorbed." The creature moved its face in even closer—uncomfortably so. "You were once like that as well—weren't you?"_

"_Yeah—I guess I was." Tahno's inner voice was screaming internally, wanting to lash back at the creature for making such an accusation, but he couldn't muster up enough to make that response. And—at the back of his mind—he agreed mostly with the words he managed to speak. "So—what a-about K-Kuruk? W-why are y-you telling me about him?"_

"_Kuruk was an arrogant Avatar—and he needed to learn the error of his ways." the creature replied, not exactly answering the ex-bender's question. "He needed to understand the gravity of his role as the Avatar, so I punished him for his mistakes." He paused, smiling sinisterly, conjuring up a grotesque blue mask for his next face. "He fell in love with a beautiful Southern Water Tribe woman—the love of his life. Can you imagine—a man who wrapped himself up in __**himself**__—falling in love? It seemed the most fitting punishment—denying the man who loved himself too much of the one he loved the most." The creature transitioned its face to that of a beautiful water tribe woman with dark brown eyes and long, dark tresses._

"_I-is that f-face the face o-of Kuruk's lover?" Tahno managed in a barely controlled tone. The creature meanwhile resumed its original face, upturning those carmine lips up in a wicked grin._

"_Her face became one in my collection after I abducted her as Kuruk's punishment," the creature responded. "You're not familiar with me, are you? I am Koh—known as the Face Stealer." It moved a distance away from the ex-bender, spreading its __**arms**__ up in the air. "I abducted her while she was alone in the Spirit Oasis of the Northern Water Tribe, prior to when they were to wed." He turned to face the ex-bender once more. "As the Avatar—Kuruk was careless in his carefree attitude—and it cost him. My belief is that the Avatar should take their role as representative of the two realms seriously. I am—seriously offended when they abuse the gifts they're given."_

"_Are you in on Avatar Korra's abduction?" Tahno finally got the nerve to confront the creature, anger roiling within him strengthening his will. "Are __**you**__ the spirit that orchestrated her abduction?"_

"_Be careful, young human. Be careful of expressing __**too much**__," Koh warned him cryptically. Those ruby-red lips upturned into such a sinister grin, it almost seemed maniacal. "You have such beautiful—defined facial features; I know that you normally are oh so expressive, and what __a joy it would be to possess your face in my collection—"_

_In an instant the scenery—the cavern, the eerie spirit calling himself Koh, the Face Stealer—vanished into a blur of white. An instant later, the white space was invaded by the most horrible of faces—or, more precisely—a mask belonging to the source of some of the ex-bender's worst nightmares._

"_We meet again."_

Tahno awoke with a start.

As his mind came to, he noticed his hand was clutching at the scarf Mako had _lent_ him the previous day onboard Commander Bumi's vessel. He wore it to bed, the scarf being something familiar and comforting in a place he wasn't quite adjusted to yet. He released it quickly, knowing that the firebender would probably kill him if he damaged the precious length of rouge fabric.

After the party went their separate ways the previous day, the ex-bender went home with his mother and her new husband. Kanani had been eager to hear all about his recent_ adventures _and all that had happened to him in the three years since they last saw each other, but the hour was late when he finally parted company with Mako and the others. The former waterbender told his mother he'd go over everything with her in the morning, after he rested.

Kanani had shown him to where he would be staying for the time being; she'd anticipated his arrival and had set aside a small room off the side of the main living space for him to use as his quarters with the bed already made up for him. She'd given him some extra blankets and wished him good night before she too headed in.

Tahno's mind wandered back to what had caused his abrupt awakening, the disturbing face he recalled seeing just after his confrontation with some creepy Spirit calling himself Koh the Face Stealer. Feeling restless, he peeled back his bedding and headed out towards the main expanse, noticing there were still embers burning in the fire pit.

The ex-bender grabbed a few logs from a nearby stack and attempted to get the fire stirring again. His mind all the while was occupied by that weird dream. He wondered what the dream meant—if it even _was_ just a dream—

"It won't be your recklessness in getting Avatar Korra back that will possibly get you killed." Just as he was obtaining success, a voice broke him from his thoughts. Tahno jerked his head about abruptly, looking for the sudden source of the voice.

In the corner of the room, near the entryway leading between his room and the main living space, stood a man of obvious water tribe descent. At first the ex-bender mistaken him for his mother's new husband, but at second glance the man's features appeared to be different—he appeared slightly younger, and his hair was much shorter in comparison. The man's dress was also more modern and less distinctive of any particular nation's affiliation, and the man wasn't exactly dressed for the chilly, polar weather.

Tahno stared hard at the man. "What exactly do you mean by that? And—who are you?"

"Who I _am—_or _was—_isn't important at the moment. What _is_ important is that we get the opportunity to speak." As the man approached him, Tahno noticed something vaguely familiar about the man's presentation, his appearance—like they'd met somewhere before. Something in his mannerisms seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't put a finger on where the source of those familiar traits came from.

"_Was?"_ The ex-bender shrugged off that sense of familiarity to look at the man questioningly.

The man's serious azure eyes stared at him. "Since you haven't figure it out yet—I'm a spirit. I've been following you since your departure from Republic City, waiting for the right opportunity to confront you about a few issues you need to be made aware of—for both your sake and Korra's."

"You've been following me since—" that sense of vague familiarity tugged at his awareness again, but again he shrugged it off. Or, at least—attempted to. It worked—for the time being. "What do you want with me? Say what you need to say—and make it quick. I'm exhausted from my trip, and my mother's sleeping in the next room."

"First," the man took a seat across the fire from him. "You need to know that your new ability—this ability to see and speak with spirits—has given you a limited time window to get the tasks you need to complete accomplished. It allows you to break through the barriers to the Spirit World, unlike most people outside the Avatar herself, but slowly—little by little—the ability is draining you of your chi—your life energy."

"So…what are you saying exactly?" Tahno questioned him, feeling puzzled—with a knot forming in his throat out of a growing sense of dread.

"Your newly developed ability…it's slowly killing you," the man answered, continuing, "The capability to breach the barrier between the two realms outside during the times of the Solstices requires a certain amount of stable chi energy flow in one's body to access it when it isn't one of the Solstices. The Avatar is capable of doing so without any adverse effects because the Avatar's spirit is adapted to such a thing, but in your case—it isn't. Unique individuals with normal bending skills can, on rare occasions, be capable of such a feat, because they have a more unique, stabilized chi flow. In your case however, as a normal bender—or, more specifically, ex-bender—your chi isn't stable enough to handle the pressure of withstanding both your bending and this newfound capability at the same time. As a normal bender—albeit currently an ex-bender—this ability is slowly draining away at your chi energy, and will continue doing so until you're tapped—and you eventually die."

_You'll get out of this alive, you'll get your bending back—and you'll be happy. __That's what I've wanted for you all along man. I didn't go through all this just to see you lose it all in the end. _Tahno at the time had thought Ming had made that desperate plea because he didn't want his closest friend thinking about dying just to be with him again, but something new dawned on him. "That's why Ming was so desperate for me to get my bending back. He must've known." He focused his complete attention on the man then. "How is this going to affect my trip into the Spirit World to get Avatar Korra back? _Will_ it affect my ability to do that?"

"Honestly—I don't know how much it'll affect your chances—if the effects will be minimal or if you'll be completely tapped before you're able to complete your mission," the man informed him. "I'll have to look into it to be certain."

"Great—my life could be tapped out before I even _get_ to the Spirit World to retrieve Korra, or I'll survive long enough to get her outta there and then die before she can fix this for me," Tahno muttered somberly.

"It's not a permanent solution, but—there's something that could possibly give you an extension on your chi," the man informed him. "Chi transference—_borrowing_ from another living source's chi flow. It could help sustain you—although getting your bending back is your only permanent solution."

"How do I go about doing that?" Tahno stared at the man across the crackling fire.

"I'm not certain, but I believe it requires a close, personal—physical—connection with another living source—another person," the man explained. After a brief pause he added, "You should know that Hiroshi Sato is capable of the same thing as you—seeing and speaking with the spirits, that is—and has been for quite some time now. He once told me how he had a near death experience—one that speared on his hatred for benders completely after the death of his wife. The difference with the ability between the two of you is that his isn't draining him of his life's energy— while for you it is."

"What makes that _madman _so different from me that he gets off scot-free from a death sentence because of the condition—and I got stuck with it?" Tahno demanded, restrained tears forming in his eyes.

"Hiroshi is a nonbender—his chi doesn't have to compete with a bending ability and his own at the same time—whereas you're a former bender stripped of your waterbending. Hiroshi also has some life support from a spirit that's backing him up. Also—unlike you—Hiroshi isn't capable of breaching the boundaries of the two realms like you can," the man pointed out. "The process of your waterbending's removal combined with the ability to communicate with spirits has created a spiritual energy vacuum within you—the very vacuum that's draining you of your chi energy as we speak. It's depleting your life energy faster than it would if you'd still had your bending. The only way to reverse the effects will be to get your waterbending back—and that'll require getting the Avatar home so that the debending process can be reversed."

That irking sense of familiarity was starting to creep back into Tahno's awareness. "Wait—how did you know I was a _water_bender?"

"Tarrlok informed me of your identity, and—I was the one who stripped your bending from you."

"Tarrlok—" That creeping sense was practically screaming at the ex-bender's awareness now, alarms going off in his mind as he came to a horrible realization. His icy blues shot open as he stared at the apparition in utter horror, slowly backing away from the fire—away from _him._

"Y-y-y-you!" Tahno stammered. "Do you know how many nights I've been haunted by what you did to me? The shit I was put through afterwards?" The streams of tears increased, cascading down his face in innumerable amounts. "My _boy_friend committed suicide because of what you did to him, and I've got permanent scars left by somebody who—while acting out in rage in his need for vengeance—chose to beat me up _and _violate me while I was defenseless!" He wiped his face up aggressively with his sleeve. "_You_ thought your actions were _justifiable_—but did you ever think about the impact your actions would have on _other people? _You're a monster—a completely evil, inhuman monstrosity!"

"Since I died, I've had the time to ponder over my actions and realize my approach to the situation wasn't very wise. However—I can't change the past any more than you can," the man pointed out to him, keeping his distance from the ex-bender to prevent stirring up further hostilities. "I wasn't always like that, and—deep down in here—" he patted his chest with one hand. "—I only wanted for things to get better for everyone. Before I became the _monster_ you're so afraid of—I was somebody else. I grew up known as Noatak of the Northern Water Tribe. I once was a boy filled with dreams and optimism—believe it or not. My father—a former crime lord hailing from Republic City during Avatar Aang's time named Yakone—he tainted me. I'm not trying to make excuses—but you have to know that there's more to it than you know. It goes along with what else I need to tell you. About what happened with the Avatar, and the spirits that lured her to the Spirit World in the first place."

"How can I trust a single word you say?" Tahno cried, louder than he intended to. "After what you did—what I've had to deal with as the consequences of your actions—_why_ should I listen to a single word you _say—Amon_?" He'd backed himself into the corner of the room. His mind was working in overdrive, getting more frantic as the former Equalist's spirit slowly approached him—cornered him.

"Because your life—and the Avatar's life—both depend on what I have to tell you!" _Amon _snapped, frustrated. "Put aside your past issues with me and just listen to me! If you don't, there will be—"

"Tahno, I heard you shouting," Kanani's voice broke through the tension, laden with grogginess. Tahno's eyes shot from where _Amon_ once stood towards the doorway leading to his mother's quarters. There she stood, eyes heavy with weariness, expression clouded with sleepy daze. "Is everything okay out here? Are you not able to sleep?"

Tahno calmed down, noticing the menacing presence of _Amon's_ spirit was absent. He dazedly climbed to his feet and slowly made his way back towards the fire. He was shaking as he got off his feet and sat down. His eyes were glued to the dancing flames before he sensed another presence right beside him. He looked up to see Kanani sitting there.

"What's wrong?" her voice was filled with motherly concern, her eyes emanating an essence of the same thing. Tahno was shaking still when her hand came to rest gently on his shoulder.

"I'm able to communicate with spirits, and—I had a really nasty one visit me just now," Tahno told her, voice trembling slightly.

"Who was it?" Kanani looked at him inquisitively.

"It doesn't matter—I'd rather forget about the whole thing." Tahno shakily got back to his feet, his mother's hand slipping from his shoulder in the process. "I didn't mean to wake you. I-I'm going back to bed."

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me more about what just happened?" Kanani stood up as well.

"I'll—tell you more about it in the morning," Tahno insisted. "I'm exhausted. Good night." He turned and headed back to his _quarters_ without looking back in her direction. Kanani watched after him, sighing.

XoXoX

Not much was happening in Republic City, much both to Tenzin's relief and dismay. He and the other city council members kept up routine contacts with one another, with nothing out of the ordinary cropping up during any of his communications with them individually or during the times they had gathered. No news about Hiroshi Sato's actions or those of his reenergized group of Equalist compatriots had cropped up pretty much since the day the former businessman disappeared from the radar, and that had the Airbending Master worried.

It was approaching twilight, and he was overlooking the expansive metropolis from a high vantage point on his island home. His view was lined with tall skyscrapers, massive ornate bridges, and many other wonders of manmade construction, many of which were taking on illumination as dusk slowly set in.

The probending arena across the bay shined in it's brilliant golden ambiance, regardless of the fact that sporting events being held there were postponed due to the fact that the city was on the alert because of Hiroshi Sato's prison break and threats. The arena stood out against the backdrop of amber ambient illumination as the darkness of evening came to cloak the city in its evening shades.

And then, all of a sudden—everything on the horizon dimmed. Lights flickered in and out instantaneously for several elongated seconds, and then—complete darkness. Tenzin found it a tad odd that there would be a citywide outage—but it had been known to happen before in the past. Figuring the disruption was momentary, he continued to stand there, observing.

"Daddy, Daddy—the lights are out everywhere, and the power's completely down!" He heard his youngest daughter's boisterous voice before he turned to acknowledge her expedient approach.

"It's probably just an outage, Ikki," Tenzin tried calmly to assure her. She came to stand idly by his side, eyes glued to the cityscape in total observance.

"The city looks so…dark," Ikki uttered in awed wonder. "But I hope the power comes back on soon!"

Tenzin looked to his young daughter, and then to the city across Yue Bay.

"Ikki—I hope so too."


	11. Chapter 11

_Okay, I just thought I'd mention that this chapter gets a little...intense. Hopefully not too much for all you out there. But then again_—_this story has an M rating for a reason._

_Don't say I didn't warn you—_

XoXoX

It was the next morning. Tahno stood outside in the cold, taking in the scenery around his mother's new tundra homestead. The air was frigid, and he had to rub his hands together to keep them warm, but his mind wasn't on the chill, or that he was freezing. He was mulling over several thoughts—from his weird dream last night, to his unsettling confrontation with the spirit of one of his worst nightmares, another visitation he had with that same spirit when he woke first thing that morning, to the discussion he had with his mother shortly after breakfast time.

"_Damn you—just go away! Didn't I get my point across with you last night that I wasn't going to listen to your shit?" _Tahno had shouted at the nightmarish apparition as he spied him standing by his bedside after he was abruptly awoken.

"_I spoke with my informant more about your condition—and there are some things about it which I think are important for you to know. I also_ **_need_** _to inform you about certain vital details concerning the Avatar as well,__ so just give me a chance to hear me out!" _Amon had responded. "_There's something vital you need to do to resolve it quickly before you go on your trip to retrieve the Avatar—"_

It was at that point that Kanani had saved him once again from his encounter with a nightmare with her presence. She had been coming in to let him know breakfast was ready. He thanked her for the notice more gratefully than he normally would have. But she didn't make note of it with him, instead smiling warmly at him before getting back to whatever she'd been doing before.

Once Unrak departed for his daylong excursion after having a quick breakfast with them, they had gathered around the fire and talked. His mother had asked him many questions about what he had been doing in the three long years since they last saw one another—how his life had been since they last spoke, things like that. He answered with simple responses, not going into details over his ordeal with Amon and glossing over everything else that had happened to him since then. He told her, in brief details, about his relationship with Ming, how his _boyfriend_ had committed suicide a couple months back and the after effects it had on him. His mother never once cringed at the mention of the word _boyfriend_—seeming to accept the term for what it was. His mother had known Ming from a while back, and had fondly noted that she always liked him.

"_I know you and your father were at odds with one another over your relationships_," Kanani had stated. "_I know you believed he expected something different from you."_

"_He expected me to be more like him,"_ the ex-waterbender remembered answering. "_Wanted his son to be more masculine; act a certain way, dress a certain way—all while being more manly in the process. He didn't appreciate the fact that I cared about my looks; that I wanted to appear well groomed and well dressed. Hell—he wanted a son who could __**earthbend**__—and he was disappointed when he got one who could waterbend instead. I always got the feeling he felt it made me less manly in his eyes, and as a result, I could never add up to enough in them." _He had brought his arms stiffly down to his sides. "_And it never helped that he criticized me about the people I got into relationships with—when I did form them. Got overly critical with the one girl I did get serious with early on__—and had to be a real bastard and chase her off when things were going good between us. _ After we broke up he thought I was being too frivolous _with the girls I dated for his liking, and don't even get me started on when he found out I had been with a guy or two—"_

_"I know that your father didn't really feel that way." _He remembered her sighing and standing up straight. Even at her age his mother was still radiantly beautiful. "_Tahno, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but your father passed away a few years back—shortly after you two stopped being on speaking terms."_

"_Oh?"_ that had taken him by surprise. "_What makes you think he didn't? And—what happened to him?"_

"_Your father fell ill shortly after you left that final time to further pursue your dream as a Probender. It wasted him away to nothing in a short period of time. There wasn't anything I could do, and neither the healers in the city or the medicine the hospital provided could save him. I'm just thankful his passing was not too painful." _Sorrow shone in her teal hued eyes._ "Before he passed away, he confessed to me that he wished he hadn't been so judgmental with you—his only son. He wished he could have made amends with you before he passed, and he would regret that he wouldn't be able to do so. He loved you very much, Tahno—but he wasn't very good at showing it."_

"_No—he wasn't."_

The sigh he released created a white cloud of frigid condensation in front of his face for an instant. He pulled Mako's red scarf up in front of his nose to keep the chill off it. It still smelled of the firebender's scent, and that thought made him wonder if he'd see Mako any time in the next couple days before he set out on his mission.

Meanwhile, he still was recalling his conversation with his mother from earlier. Kanani had diverted the discussion away from his father towards more optimistic thoughts; while she'd been busy cleaning up and putting away breakfast dishes, she told him about how she'd used the funds his father left her to travel to the Southern Water Tribe so she could finally settle there like she'd always dreamed to. She mentioned how she met Unrak the first day she came into port, and how things had moved quickly between them. Not even six months after the first day they met he proposed to her, telling her that she was the one he'd been waiting his whole life to meet. She'd told him how flattered she'd felt, and how she'd given a resounding _yes_ to his proposal.

"_I'm not trying to tarnish the memories of what your father and I had together, but he told me on his death bed that he wanted me to find happiness when he was gone—find love with another man even if it came down to it." _ She'd sighed somberly then, putting away the cleaned dishes.

"_You don't have to explain your decision to me. That kind of shit doesn't matter to me. I'm glad you're happy, and that's all that matters—wouldn't you say?" _He'd told her.

"_Well, you see—your father told me he regretted a lot of the decisions he made during our marriage—while we were bringing you up…his telling me I was free to do as I pleased when he was gone was his way of seeking forgiveness for the things he felt he did wrong," _She explained to him._ "He didn't need to even seek it from me—there was never anything I needed to forgive from him. Through the good and bad—I was happy with him. He wished someday that you too could forgive him for his errors. He told me he regretted his argument with you over you wanting to pursue probending as a career—that he chased you away because of that. He also admitted he was wrong to judge your relationships. In the end, if being with another man was what would make you happy—that's what he wanted for you. Even if he never got to express those words to you personally…that's what he said to me before he died." _She looked up at him as if she was trying to get him to understand what she was saying. _"I can only hope that someday you'll be able to forgive him for his faults, Tahno."_

"_If it'll make you feel better, mom—maybe someday I will. Right now—I've got other things on my mind, and dad's nowhere near the top of my list of priorities."_

After finishing with the dishes, his mother had approached him, resting a hand on his shoulder. _"Like what?"_

"_First—remember how I told you that I can communicate with spirits?" _She nodded slightly._ "Well—Avatar Korra's managed to rile up some spirits, and they've taken her hostage in the Spirit World. It's—my responsibility to go there and get her out."_

"_You're able to do that?"_ A hand had risen to her mouth in shock.

"_Yeah—um…it has something to do with me almost…ahem—dying a few times…um—combined with the loss of my waterbending,"_ He'd struggled to inform her. There was a twinkle of tragic sorrow in the fathoms of her teal shaded eyes.

"_You've almost—died…a few __**times**__?" _She'd choked out. He had regrettably nodded._ "How…and when?"_

"_I came close to drowning in the pool below the arena after Amon's cohorts dumped me off the edge of the platform when they were finished with me, and—um…there was the time I…tried to commit suicide."_ It had been hard enough for him to bring up his suicide attempt. He couldn't bring himself to tell her about how he was raped and left for dead in a dark alleyway. _"I'm better now though, mom. Mako, the younger firebender who you saw as a part of the party I arrived with yesterday—he was the one who rescued me after I jumped off the edge of a bridge. He dragged me out of the river, and he's also made sure that I didn't try attempting to do the same thing again. I had a freak accident on the end of the pier leading off a point on Air Temple Island—one where I came close to drowning—but luckily Mako was there to save me again. Mako made me realize I've got a lot to live for after all he's done for me. He's the reason I'm still alive right now."_

"_Are the two of you—you and that boy Mako..." _His mother had paused but a moment. "_Seeing one another?"_

He'd been hesitant to answer right away. "_No…Mako's seeing the Avatar_." He'd tried to make the next part convincing. "_We're…just friends, and that's all it's ever gonna be between the two of us."_

"_It sounds like you wish it could be more than that,"_ His mother had noted a little too point-blank for his liking.

"_How long was Unrak supposed to be gone again?"_ He'd tried changing the subject. His mother had released a resigned sigh.

"_He'll be out for most of the rest of the day. His job keeps him out for hours, even days, at a time_," Kanani had responded. "_And—Tahno? Just so you know…Unrak won't judge you for your orientation like your father did. He's very understanding of the fact that you—sometimes prefer having close, intimate relationships with other men. He told me that he—once was in one with another man himself a long time ago, long before he met me. They were close until…the other man was killed in a fishing accident. So...just don't ever be afraid to hide anything like that from us, okay?" _She'd been watching him with a pleading look in her eyes.

He'd sighed. "_I won't…mom."_ She'd smiled and they'd both dropped it at that. He'd claimed he'd need some fresh air, and his mother let him go.

So now, here he was, an hour later, standing out in the frigid cold, looking around at all the other icy habitations that dotted the landscape surrounding him on all sides. It wasn't Republic City by any stretch, but for some reason—it felt homey to him. Almost a feeling like he belonged there. Tahno sighed, expelling another cloud of condensation through the red fabric wrapped around his neck. He rubbed his gloved hands together, hoping the friction would create some warmth for his numbing fingers.

His thoughts were just being drawn towards his weird dream about Koh when he heard snow crunching somewhere nearby. In the near distance he heard footprints being made in the snow. He turned to face the culprit, half expecting it to be his mother's new husband coming in early and ready to welcome the broad-shouldered man back from whatever the hell he'd been doing out in the frigid tundra, when the words fell away from his mental grasp and his icy hued irises looked like tiny icebergs surrounded by two separate seas of white.

"I—didn't think I'd see you around for a couple days," Tahno forced himself to shed the wide-eyed stare and keep his gaze averted casually off to the side. His approaching_ companion _came to a stop right beside him, the sounds of crunching snow and ice coming to a halt. "Thought you'd be kept busy visiting with Korra's parents, or something like that—Mako."

"I thought I'd give you time to visit with your mother before I decided to come bothering you," Mako replied, voice cutting through the chilled air like a knife through butter. "So—how are things on that front?"

"She asked a lot of questions, I gave her a lot of answers, some of which I only gave her the abridged versions," Tahno responded, eying the cobalt sky overhead. "She told me my dad died a few years back."

"Oh?" Mako uttered. "How'd you take the news? How's it affecting you?"

"Y' know—I don't really know," Tahno admitted honestly. "We had this big fight the last time we saw each other—how he wished I'd stop sleeping around and just settle with one girl, and quit messing around with guys in the meantime. He wasn't too proud about having a son who could've been labeled as a _queer_ if I was found out by anyone_._ It was the type of thing that made us butt heads to the point where it drove a wedge between the two of us." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "I became the overconfident, arrogant, promiscuous little prick that I was to prove some kind of point with the old man and to also piss him off. The fame and glory I received from winning all those championships in probending probably helped make it worse."

"Do you regret not fixing things between you and him before he passed, or are you kind of glad he's gone?" Mako asked him. The ex-bender let out a short, bitter laugh.

"You know Mako—right now...I don't know, and I really don't care," Tahno replied.

"So—why are you standing out here? It's freezing," Mako asked him.

"I needed some space and privacy to think," Tahno replied.

"Care if I ask what for?" Mako asked.

"I guess not," Tahno sighed as he thought about his weird dream with Koh and his confrontation with _Amon_'s spirit. "Have you ever heard of some spirit called Koh, the Face Stealer?"

"Korra mentioned him before she left for the Spirit World," Mako replied. "Something about her talking to one of the previous Avatar spirits about his ordeal with Koh. I think she said she spoke with Kuruk, and how she believed the Dark Spirit's warning was a reminder to not make the same mistakes Kuruk made with the Face Stealer. Why?"

"I had a crazy dream involving him," Tahno replied. "I came out here to think about what the hell the dream meant—if it's important, or just the product of all the craziness that's been going on lately. I also came out here to shake off this unsettling feeling I got from _something else_ that confronted me last night."

"What bothered to confront you last night that's got you unsettled?" Mako asked him.

"_Amon_ decided to confront me last night—and first thing this morning," Tahno replied, a cold chill running through him just at the thought.

"Amon? The Equalist leader _Amon?"_ Mako looked at him, startled.

"Yeah—the one and only," Tahno remarked. "Gave me a rude awakening, told me a few things I'd prefer not knowing about—and left me restlessly tossing and turning the rest of the night."

"Like what?" Mako asked, his auburn eyes connecting with icy blues finally.

"He confirmed what we've been suspecting for a while about Hiroshi Sato—that he's also able to communicate with and see spirits," Tahno replied, hesitating to continue. "He…he also said that _my _ability to talk to spirits is draining me of my life energy—what he called chi."

"Can you tell me more about that? Like—what it means for you?" Mako asked him.

_Should I bother telling him the effects of it could be killing me?_ Tahno asked himself. He told himself mentally _no—I can't, I don't want him worrying about me; him worrying could only get in my way._ "He told me it's physically weakening me—that it could affect the outcome of my success in getting Korra back from the Spirit World. He—told me one way to deal with it as a temporary fix was energy transference—taking in energy from somebody else." He turned his eyes away from the firebender's, changing the subject. "So—what brings you by? Come to reclaim your scarf, or did you come by for something else?"

"Remember how I said I wanted to speak to you privately about that one—_thing_ when we had a chance to find somewhere private to discuss it while we were still aboard Commander Bumi's ship?" Mako asked, looking directly at him. The ex-bender caught his gaze out of the corner of his eyes.

"Yeah, I remember," Tahno responded, not looking at the firebender directly. "Know somewhere private where we can have that conversation? You're more familiar with this territory then I am."

"If you asked her nicely, would your mother step out for a while to give us some privacy?" Mako asked him. The ex-bender finally looked at the firebender to stare at him critically.

"I could ask her, but don't you think it's a little…I don't know—_strange_ to ask the owner of the home to leave so their guest can get a few moments of privacy to themselves there?" Tahno commented.

"I guess we could always go back to the Compound and see if there's a place there to get in a private chat," Mako suggested offhandedly. The ex-bender rolled his eyes and heaved a frustrated sigh.

"I'll go bother my mother for a few moments of privacy in her place," Tahno conceded, making his way through the heavy packed snow to the entryway of Kanani's inhabitance. He heard Mako following close behind him.

"Hey, mom—do you think you can spare me some time in this place to myself for a little while?" Tahno shouted as he closed the door behind them. His mother was sitting by the hearth, warming herself by the fire. She looked up to her company, smiling brightly.

"You're Mako, right?" Kanani said to the firebender.

"Yes," Mako responded, giving a formal nod of his head. "It's nice to meet you. Tahno's mentioned you on a few occasions."

"Ah," Kanani acknowledged as she got to her feet. "He mentioned you while we were chatting earlier. He said that you saved his life after he attempted suicide. He claimed that you helped give new meaning to his life—that you're the reason he's still here." She was looking at the firebender, smiling warmly. "I would like to express how grateful I am for what you did to help him recover his will to live." She stood in front of the two young men, her long, dark hair running loose and free behind her back. "Did you say you need the place to yourself for a while, Tahno? I can go and check in with Kya for a little while, have her fill me in on all that's been going on in Republic City recently. Unrak won't be back for several more hours, so you should have the place to yourself for as long as you need."

"Are you sure you want to turn the place over to me so easily?" Tahno questioned her.

"Of course," Kanani replied. She collected her hair up into a loose bun as she continued. "You're my son; I love you very dearly and always have—even in the time of our estrangement—and I'll help you out when you need me to." She hugged him quickly right in front of the firebender, much to his embarrassment. "It's no trouble really. I intended to visit with Kya anyways. She always tells the best tales." She pulled away from him, smiling warmly. "Enjoy the peace and quiet, and keep warm by the fire if you need to." She reached for her overcoat and mittens, putting them on and then wrapped a scarf around her face. Before she closed the door behind her, she turned to them one final time. "I'll see you later."

Mako got the ex-bender's attention as the door slammed shut. "Ahem."

"What?" Tahno looked at him oddly.

"Didn't you ask her to leave so that we could—?"

"Oh—yeah…you wanted to talk," Tahno interrupted him. "You wanted to discuss that stupid confession I made to you back on Air Temple Island before Bolin barged in. Mako—" He looked away from the firebender awkwardly. "—I can't take back what I said; I meant every word of it. But…it was stupid of me to blurt it out like that. I don't know what I was thinking, I guess…it was the heat of the moment."

"Tahno—" Mako paused, searching for the right words to say. "It wasn't stupid—what I mean is…yeah—your confession really confused me—_a lot—_after you made it to me, but…it wasn't stupid for you to admit that kind of thing to me."

"Yeah…I guess it wasn't _completely _stupid since I was being totally honest when I said it." Feeling a bit embarrassed, Tahno picked up a poker by the hearth, sitting down in front of the fire as he began poking at the burning logs with the tip. "I understand that you'll never reciprocate those feelings in return; I get that you're with the Avatar a-and that—you don't _swing_ that way. I get t-that you prefer to remain just friends. I understand that—and don't expect anything more than that out of you." The logs crackled as the flames lapped away at them while the ex-bender stirred them with the poker.

Mako came to sit beside him, watching the ex-bender poke and prod at the fire. "Tahno, the thing is—" He hesitated a moment, concentrating his gaze on the dancing flames. "Honestly…I really _do_ care about you—_a lot_, and admittedly as more than just _friendly—_your confession kind of forced me to finally realize it. But…it's just—after I didn't tell her about how Korra and I kissed while we were still together—I really hurt Asami. To make matters worse…Bolin was the one to break it to her, and…things were never the same again." He took his eyes off the fire, daring himself to look the ex-bender's way. "I don't want to hurt Korra, and I don't want to hurt you—especially after all you've been through. I just…I can't keep denying to myself that I—I have the same kind of feelings for you too in return anymore."

Tahno kept his eyes averted away from the firebender and concentrated on the fire, not wanting him to see the tears that stung his eyes as he tried to blink them back—prevent them from forming enough to cascade down his cheeks. He was having a difficult time doing so however.

Unexpectedly, Mako took the corner of the ex-bender's chin and redirected it one hand. "Tahno—look at me," he said to the former waterbender with insistence. He managed to get Tahno to comply with his request. "Look, yes—you really confused me when you admitted you love me. Hell—you_ really_ confused me when we kissed on the beach that one time. B-but...what I've realized lately—" His tongue started to feel leaden, drying out as his nerves tried to get the best of him. He stamped down that feeling, and pushed himself further with his words. "Is that my feelings for you...they're not platonic. I-I think I like you as more than a friend...m-more than that even."

He took his hand from the ex-bender's uplifted chin and brought it to the side of his face, tilting it so that they were seeing eye-to-eye with one another. The firebender brushed the ex-bender's hair off to the side, getting it out of his way as he made an unexpected gesture of clearing tears from the former waterbender's icy blues with a tender caress of his thumb across the bottom lid of each of his eyes. "I don't want you to think that you owe me a debt—t-that you...have to put your life on the line to save Korra's—okay?" He tilted the ex-bender's face as he began massaging his scalp tenderly with his fingertips. "I care about you a lot—you _and_ Korra both—a-and I want you to fully realize that before you—before you go to rescue her from the Spirit World!"

"O-okay, Mako—I realize it, and—and promise I won't be reckless...for your sake," Tahno replied, unable to disconnect his visual link with the firebender. He noticed something flashing in the firebender's eyes—something peculiar to him.

"The thing is—Tahno..." Mako forced himself to keep their visual connection intact. "—I don't want it just to be a-a mental understanding between the two of us. I-I want something physical...if-if you'll let me."

"Physical...wh-what are you suggesting here, Mako?" Tahno was certain the firebender registered the confusion, shock, and certain awareness in his icy blues.

"I'm bringing back that request I made that day you found out Korra could restore your bending—the one I made on the beach...under the moon," Mako replied. "I-I know I said that I didn't want to pursue something like that—for Korra's sake, but—"

"Mako...are you suggesting that y-you want to have sex with me—right here, right now?" Tahno exclaimed, his voice expressing vividly how startled he was by the very words he spoke.

"Yes, Tahno—a-actually...I _am_!" Mako's voice pitched on the last word. "You told me that your spirit-seeing thing is wearing you out physically, that—_Amon_ told you a temporary solution to that was an energy transference through a personal, physical connection with another person. I want to help you out with that...if you'll let me!"

"Yeah—_Amon_ did say I could get a temporary life-energy fix from a close, personal, physical connection with another person, b-but—I haven't felt the effects of that just yet, a-and—who's to say it'll affect me at all—that the dead bastard wasn't just playing with me when he made that claim?" Tahno exclaimed. "Why haven't I dealt with it before now, if-if it's really gonna affect me that way?"

"Maybe you didn't feel it exactly because you were in constant need of healing after your suicide attempt—because of the fact that you weren't very active afterwards, or because Kya healed you a few times after some accidents you had following that. _Maybe_ you were so caught up in your grief or other things at the time that you didn't even realize that your ability was wearing you out," Mako informed him. "B-but I don't think _Amon_ was fibbing. Do you get what I'm saying—about everything that's happened in the last month?"

"M-maybe you're correct, Mako—maybe the dead bastard was right about it," Tahno replied after he took a few moments to think it over. "But are you _certain _you want to retract your own claim to get intimate with me? After all you've said in regards to Korra—"

"Tahno—I've been thinking about this long and hard for a while now...and I really feel I need this from you," Mako told him, unconsciously caressing the ex-bender's chin with his thumb. "Korra means so much to me, and nothing's ever going to change that, but...I care about you too, and—I want you to really understand that before it's too late, and—Korra's back."

"You're really _serious_ about this?" Tahno exclaimed, still sounding rather dubious. Not even bothering to give the ex-bender another vocal response, the firebender leaned in closer—taking the ex-waterbender's lips up in his. Much in the same way that the ex-bender had the night he'd been visited by the young firebender's deceased father's specter. The former waterbender's eyes remained open wide, too shocked to comprehend what was happening just then. "How long have you been contemplating this over?" Tahno exclaimed when they parted. He turned his eyes away from the firebender, unable finally to make continued eye contact with him.

"Pretty much since the night you made that confession to me," he heard Mako explain. "And...admittedly—also some time before that. Look—if it'll make it easier for you…you can have complete control over me in this. Since you're more experienced than I am, and…considering your past predicament—"

"No," Tahno cut him off. "I really need to work on getting over my intimacy issues, a-and you're probably the only one I trust who can help me out the most with that, a-and I-I trust you enough to allow you to have control. If you need…um—instructions—on…what to _do…_I'll—give them to you." He halted his words a moment, trying to force back the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. "That is…if you're actually being serious about this with me."

"I _am_. Didn't the kiss get that concept through to you?" There was a long pause before Mako spoke up again. "So—"

Tahno huffed. "If you're so intent on doing this—you're at least going to need to be aroused enough to pull it off!" He exclaimed exasperatedly. "It's not like I can assist you with that without my bending, and you can't exactly _do _anything if you're not—" He reached for the firebender's crotch to try and prove a point, but was stunned when he discovered the other man was already stiff. "Oh." The firebender's face took on a reddish hue as the ex-bender's hand continued to linger where it was.

"I told you I was serious about this!" Mako exclaimed in response, still red-faced. "I didn't want to mention this before because I was embarrassed by it, but now's probably a good enough time as any. I was afraid to admit it before, but—but…you get a serious rise out of me!" His face became redder as he added, "You seriously confused me that first time we kissed—but not for reasons you'd suspect. The first time you made me stiff was the night you did that." He reached for the ex-bender's hand, putting some pressure down on it. "Go ahead—feel it some more. I dare you to reach inside my pants and feel the proof for yourself!" He put firmer pressure down on the former waterbender's hand as he blushed a deeper scarlet. "You're the first man who's_ ever_ made me feel this way _and _aroused me like this, and if you don't have any objections against it, I'd like to take you—right here…right now."

"_Here?_" Tahno exclaimed, eying the fire. "I know you're a firebender, Mako—but I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea of getting _burned!_"

"Okay, then—you figure out a better place—and we'll take it there!" Mako shot back.

"Fine! If you're so intent on going through with this—let's take this to the room my mother set up for me then! I'd feel more comfortable _doing it_ there than right here!" Tahno could feel the adrenaline rushing through his system, the blush covering his entire face, as his hand remained pinned down to the firebender's bulging groin.

"What direction is it in then?" Mako asked him insistently. Tahno raised his free hand and pointed out the way. Without warning, the firebender scooped up the bewildered ex-waterbender in his arms and carried him in that direction. Mako had little trouble opening the door and entering the room with the ex-bender in tow, or closing the door behind him before setting Tahno down and kneeling beside him.

Mako took up the ex-bender's lips feverishly in his with little notice beforehand. He tasted the borders of Tahno's mouth before his tongue thrust forward, needing no invitation for entry, as by now it was more than welcome to have access to those inner realms.

With one free hand, Mako ran his fingers through the ex-waterbender's soft, dark locks, caressing his scalp with tantalizing circular movements. As their long, delicate taste bud coated organs continually darted and danced alongside one another, Mako gently pressed Tahno downwards against the flat surface of his bed.

The ex-bender's own arousal felt strained within its fabric confines as the firebender's groin rubbed against his. He hissed between lip locks, the sensation starting to become overwhelming.

"Spirits, geez—" Tahno managed between breaks in their oral connection. "It's been a while since—augh—" he groaned. "You're making this unbearable—" Another sharp hiss. "—For me to deal with!"

Mako pulled away, face hovering a few inches above the ex-bender's. "Are you too uncomfortable to go through with it?"

"No, Fireboy—something's lit a fire up your ass!" Tahno exclaimed. "You're turning me on a little _too much_ down there!"

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Mako questioned the other man he was currently topping.

"You grinding your crotch against mine is getting a serious rise out of me from the friction!" Tahno informed him impatiently. "Either give me a chance to strip out of my own clothing before the strain becomes too unbearable, or do it yourself!"

"Okay, okay—let me get a chance to sit up a bit, and we'll work on doing that!" Mako responded irritably, inclining. Tahno did so as well. "First off—I want to make sure my scarf doesn't end up getting messed up." The firebender reached out for the rouge fabric still wrapped around the ex-bender's neck, carefully unraveling it and setting it aside. He then pushed Tahno's jacket from his shoulders and flung it aside. His fingers then got to work undoing the fasteners on the ex-waterbender's shirt, shedding it off his shoulders with just a little effort. He threw it aside carelessly, ready to get to work on removing the ex-bender's pants, when his eyes roamed over Tahno's bare chest, noticing scars he hadn't acknowledged the existence of before. The ex-bender caught the look in Mako's eyes, knowing full well what had caused him to pause.

"Another reason why I'm not comfortable allowing just _anybody _the chance to lay claim to my body anymore," Tahno explained, looking down at the ugly reddish_ stains _that tarnished the flesh of his chest and abdomen. "That _man_ that assaulted me? He had to make a point of leaving me with some unsightly _souvenirs_ from the experience. I'm certain the _imprints_ would be hard to explain to anyone who didn't know about that and happened to see them."

"Does it hurt?" Mako inquired, tracing the outlines of one of those scars with his fingers, creating a tingling sensation that caused the ex-bender to intake an involuntarily sharp breath.

"Nah, it's all been healed up for a while now; the sensation just tickles a little." Tahno's icy blues rested on the firebender expectantly. "Well—get over the scars already and help me get out of these clothes. You've stirred something in me that needs to be satiated—fast—and it's been _a while_ since I've felt like this."

"Okay, okay—I get your point," Mako replied, grinning mischievously. "Lie down. It'll make it easier for me."

"Whatever." Tahno complied, letting the firebender strip him of his remaining garments until he was lying there completely naked, his clothes strewn across the floor haphazardly.

Tahno quickly inclined and wordlessly got to work removing the firebender's garments one piece at a time in a rush, getting some help from Mako in the process. When the firebender was completely stripped, the ex-bender pressed him down, leaning over him with his manhood rubbing against the firebender's, creating pleasurable friction.

"Wanna claim dibs on topping, or is the honor all mine?" Tahno breathed, his lips mere centimeters from Mako's. "The choice decides who's going to be doing all the _poking _and_ prodding—_and who'll be the one taking it." He grinned devilishly, inclining some while adding. "I already claimed that I'd bottom, but I'm giving you a chance to figure if you want to change your mind—or stick with the original plan." Mako flinched all of a sudden as the ex-bender's fingers took to caressing his erect extension, moving from the tip to the base a few times before his hand began wandering further and brushed over the firebender's entrance. "I'll give you the chance—or you can let me show you how a real pro _bends_." Tahno prodded the opening gently, stirring a wave of tremors within the firebender. In an instant, the ex-bender was being flipped over and pressed down, his back flattened against the surface of his bed, and it was he who ended up being _prodded._

"So—this is how you do it? Insert a couple fingers in to stretch it a bit before going in fully?" Mako's fingers now danced around the ex-bender's entrance, creating the same tremors in him that he'd produced in the firebender but a few moments before.

"You start by stretching me one finger at a time," Tahno informed him. "One, two—three. Works like a charm." He squirmed a bit. "If you're really gonna top me though—make sure not to tear me up too much when you get your staff in me. I'm not too fond of a lot of pain and bleeding down there, especially after..." He let it hang.

"I'll be as gentle as possible," Mako promised, voice reassuring as his lingering fingers travelled away from Tahno's entrance to playfully stroke the ex-bender's length. The ex-waterbender released a moan of intense ecstasy.

Those same lips that spoke such sweet reassurances brushed against Tahno's, teasing him with gentle caresses and playful nibbles. He then sunk in for a full oral endeavor, tongue dipping and reemerging with a quick thrust in and out motion. Mako swallowed an incomplete groan of the ex-bender's that resulted from the action, all the while further stimulating his reaction with sensory gesticulations on the ex-bender's genitals with his hand.

Mako then pulled his lips away from the ex-waterbender's—instead using both his mouth and his fingertips to physically tease and further arouse Tahno as he slowly descended down the length of the ex-bender's body—tasting and teasing his nipples, kissing and caressing his way to the ex-bender's naval, and then moving further down from there. The former waterbender emitted groans and hisses of pleasure as the firebender continued to tease the ex-bender's skin with his tongue, his lips' caresses, and the soft pressure of Mako leaving his mark on Tahno with his teeth along the path towards the ex-bender's nether region.

With an unexpected abruptness on Mako's account, Tahno was taken completely unawares when the firebender spread his thighs apart and brought his mouth down to encompass the entire length of his erect manhood. Against his conscious efforts, the ex-bender instinctively bucked his hips.

"Geez—if you really intend to be the one who's topping, then you should've left that part up to me!" Tahno exclaimed alarmingly. Mako ceased his actions, drawing his tongue away from the sensitive organ as he withdrew his mouth from the ex-bender's length. He knelt down in the space he'd created between Tahno's spread legs, looking the former waterbender in the eye.

"Maybe I've changed my mind," Mako drew the ex-bender into a sitting position before dragging him down again—this time bringing Tahno on top of him while he lay down underneath him. The move forced the ex-bender to adjust his position accordingly, arms propping him up so he wasn't lying directly on top of the firebender. Their groins brushed up against one another's in the process, creating more sexual tension for the both of them.

"What do you mean by that?" Tahno demanded.

"I'd prefer it if the pro showed _me_ how it's done," Mako declared. "I want _you_ to give _me _those famous _private lessons_ you're so well-known for."

"I thought we'd agreed that I was going to bottom," Tahno remarked irritably.

"We didn't officially verbally agree to anything," Mako stated, adding. "Besides—I just got you_ set up_, so you might as well be the one to _do it _before that completely wears off." He quickly caressed the side of the ex-bender's face sensually with his fingers. "Plus—I _don't_ want to hurt you, and I'd rather deal with the pain than inflict it on you."

"I'll have to make the prep work quick then, because I'm not going to have enough time to do it properly, and I don't have any lubricant that'll make it less painful," Tahno explained, frustrated.

"I could fix that for you if you wanted me to suck you a little longer—get you moist and ready," Mako offered. The ex-bender rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"It wouldn't make much of a difference, Fireboy—you couldn't get it moist for long enough to make it worth the while," Tahno replied. "You certain you want me to be the one doing this?" The firebender didn't respond, only goaded him on wordlessly with a particular glint in those auburn eyes of his as they stared directly into the ex-bender's. "Geez—expect this to be a little painful at the very least."

"I don't care about that," Mako replied, offering up his reassurances to the ex-bender. "As long as you're the one in control of the situation, that's all that matters to me."

"Geez—" Tahno rolled his eyes again. He inclined somewhat, drawing the firebender's thighs apart before probing his entrance with two of his fingers. He made scissoring motions against the opening with those two digits, stretching it as much as he was able; meanwhile, Mako winced in the process. The ex-bender noticed, stating vocally, "if you think this is painful—you're in for a surprise when I stick it to you fully." In the meantime, he got to work sticking a third finger up in there, stretching it even further.

"It's a little painful—and unexpected—but you're also hitting the right spots," Mako informed him as he winced again.

"Just don't come all over me before I even get my staff up inside you," Tahno warned him. "I can't just _waterbend_ it off to clean up the mess, you know."

"I'm not that pathetic," Mako shot back defensively. "I don't come that easily."

"That's a relief," Tahno exhaled gratefully. "Get yourself up higher, otherwise I'm not going to have enough room to work with in order for me to get the right angle to get inside you."

"Back in the day when you still had your bending, were you able to get your male partners _erect _with your waterbending?" Mako inquired as he adjusted his position accordingly.

"Yeah, I was able to make them _stiff_ with my bending—but it's not like I really needed to when ninety percent of the time they stiffened up without the need of my assistance," Tahno told him. "Also managed to give the girls some extra _satisfaction_ with it." He grinned. "Expect some major pain to shoot through you as I begin doing this, but it should become more pleasurable as we get further along."

"Don't worry, I'm already expecting it," Mako offered a reassuring grin, his hair plastered down with sweat. He opened up access to his entrance as much as he was capable by adjusting his legs into a high enough position. The firebender wrapped his legs around Tahno's frame, the end of his spinal column curving to the tailbone as the ex-bender moved forward to come near to claim Mako's lips once more. The ex-bender assaulted the firebender's lips with a particular hunger, leaving and receiving a distinctive flavor off of his lips before parting from him.

The ex-bender's erect appendage lined up nicely with the firebender's welcoming entrance. The former waterbender slowly pressed his way inwards. The firebender expelled a few cries in pain and grimaced with his eyes closing, but kept a grip on his nerves—and the ex-bender's shoulders with both hands—as the ex-bender continued his insertion.

"Damn, you're tight," Tahno noted as he worked his way inwards. The firebender panted heavily.

"Maybe your staff's…just impressively…large," Mako managed between pants. "Don't complain—just keep going."

"Sure you can handle me going all the way?" Tahno questioned. "You're sweating buckets, and you look like the pain's excruciating for you."

"I'm sure," Mako insisted. "Keep going—I can…handle it." With a flash of a grin, he added, "Remember—this is my first time at this, so I've just gotta get used to it—that's all."

"If you insist." Tahno kept pushing until he was completely sheathed to the balls. He freed up one of his hands, bringing it down towards the firebender's stiff appendage, affectionately playing with his balls. The ex-bender leaned in closer even as he continued with the action. "For the record, Fireboy—you've got a pretty impressive staff yourself." His teasing fingers took to encompassing Mako's length, providing him some relieving pleasure with applicable pressure on the stiff organ.

Tahno leaned in to caress and lightly take grip of Mako's lips. He massaged the outer borders of the oral orifice, gently gliding his tongue over the firebender's teeth and rubbing against his tongue as he achieved access to that moist region. He eventually parted from the firebender's lips and began the process of pulling out and thrusting back in. At first Mako screamed painfully, but as he and the ex-bender set up a decent rhythm with one another, the pain in his voice was replaced with undertones of extreme ecstasy—and transitioned from painful guttural utterances to crying Tahno's name.

Mako's hands clung onto Tahno's shoulders, fingers digging into his flesh as the former waterbender continued to rhythmically pound into the firebender. It took several rounds of the ex-bender thrusting in and pulling out before the firebender came all over the both of them. The ex-waterbender got in a few more thrusts before he too felt his own release far up inside of the firebender.

Tahno leaned in to capture Mako's lips once more before he felt his extension, still embedded deep inside the firebender, relax and go limp. He pulled out, and then collapsed next to the firebender, lying down beside him.

"That how a real pro _bends_?" Mako asked as he rolled over partway to lie on his side, eyes directed the ex-bender's way. Tahno gave a short, weary laugh.

"I guess," Tahno replied. "So…you planning to stay around a while, or are you leaving shortly?"

"I need some time to recuperate—as well as clean myself up. I'm covered in my own _mess_…and yours is running out of my ass. I've got a mixture of your _juices_ mingled with some blood from the tears you created leaving me with a really _messy_ _situation _down there," Mako stated. "I'll—be right back. " He got to his feet, leaving the ex-bender alone for a few minutes. Meanwhile, Tahno lay there, staring at the ceiling.

_This would be the one time where I wish this wasn't going to end up being just a one-night stand,_ Tahno thought solemnly to himself. He sighed, and then turned his head when he heard footsteps approaching.

Mako returned with a change of bed sheets under one arm, and nothing else of material on him. He set aside the sheets and reclaimed his previous position, lying on his side and looking at the ex-bender in the process; Tahno appraised the firebender's body with wandering eyes, relishing the fact that he was still nude, albeit cleaned up.

"You gonna get yourself cleaned up?" Mako asked him, his eyes meanwhile connecting somewhere else that wasn't the ex-bender's own icy blues. Tahno blushed when he realized where those auburn orbs had wandered and were now lingering.

"Sticking it to you has exhausted me, so no—not for the time being," Tahno replied, unconsciously eliciting a yawn that helped explain his weariness.

"Let me help you clean up then," Mako stated. "It can't be all that comfortable to be sticky and covered in my semen." The firebender got to his feet again, coming back with a moistened cloth in hand. "I'll handle getting you cleaned up. All you have to do is not squirm around _too much_." There was a hint of a mischievous smile at the corners of his lips as he bent down and began applying the cloth to the ex-bender's flesh, rubbing first at his chest with it in circular motions; he started carefully working around each of his nipples before moving towards the shallow _valley _that formed in between.

He descended downwards from there, taking his time as he moved further down the length of Tahno's body. In the process he was increasingly over-stimulating the former waterbender all over again. If he weren't already so exhausted, Tahno would have inclined—pinned Mako down and started going for another round with him. The sensation only got worse as the firebender moved further down and began to scrub at the sensitive nether regions.

"Do you have to do it like that?" Tahno exclaimed torturously. The firebender looked up at him, that mischievous smile now well defined.

"Okay, I've gotta admit—I enjoy getting a rise out of you," Mako replied. "I accomplish two things at once: getting you nice and cleaned up, _and _I get the satisfaction seeing that I can physically stimulate you so easily, and…if I'm going to lie down beside you for a while as I'm recuperating, I don't want to get myself dirtied up all over again."

He finished up, setting aside the now dirty cloth before moving in to claim the ex-bender's lips for a long, intensely fervent exchange. After they eventually separated, Mako told Tahno, "Get up for a moment so I can change the sheets." The ex-bender did as the firebender suggested. Mako then got to work replacing the old sheets with the new.

Afterwards the two got resituated in their previous positions, and then Mako curled up right beside the ex-bender, pulling the clean blankets up around both of them to keep them warm before falling asleep. Tahno lay there awake for a while, sensing the warmth Mako's body gave off while being in such close contact with him. He felt contented by the warmth, cuddling close to it before he too eventually drifted off.

XoXoX

Bolin sighed. Past his cheek he felt the cool caress of a brisk breeze. His eyes wandered over the vast community that made up a portion of the Southern Water Tribe, the locality of Korra's parents' abode. He was standing outside the dwelling, needing fresh air to collect his thoughts to.

So much had been going on recently, it was taking some time for the young earthbender's mind to adjust to it all. Hiroshi Sato going on yet another rampage in the name of ending bending altogether, Korra caught up in some trouble with the spirits—her life possibly in danger…and then there was his brother.

Correction—his brother…and something involving the former waterbender. Over the past month he'd shrugged off each incident he witnessed involving the two of them in particular; the ordeal on the beach—Tahno's mental breakdown, as Mako had explained it; the incident in Hiroshi's former workshop where the ex-bender _insisted_ on carrying Mako from the scene_ himself_—never mind the fact that Tahno had been particularly protective of Bolin's older brother during his confrontation with Sato; what he thought he heard, and saw, when he ran into the two while they were in the city before Sato stormed his former estate—did he hear it correctly, or was he reading too much into it?

There was how they interacted with one another over the past few weeks, and then there was that confession he overheard Tahno make to Mako. The one the ex-bender made before Bolin entered his brother's room right after Mako regained consciousness at Jinora's insistence that his brother was awake—and the fact that his brother had lent the ex-bender his precious scarf onboard Commander Bumi's vessel—

Bolin had caught the rumors going around about the ex-bender while he was training in the arena. The past season was a hot topic in the halls and training arenas within the walls of the establishment—especially the champions of that same said season. The White Falls Wolfbats; Tahno had played the field—both in and out of the arena, or so Bolin had heard anyways—getting on with the girls, and picking up a few guys along the way. He had heard the word _queer_ thrown around a few times; Bolin was well aware of what that meant. He hadn't put much thought into the concept though; it hadn't really concerned him and it didn't really bother him either. But now—

The young earthbender didn't know what the situation going on between his brother and the former waterbender was—_if_ there was something going on—but he couldn't help being troubled over it either way. If his brother ended up swinging that way, Bolin would always be supportive of him. They were brothers, after all, and Mako had been his rock—his _foundation_—while they were going through hard times growing up. Bolin would never judge him for his decisions—as long as they didn't get anyone hurt or killed anyways—whatever they might be—

But then there was Korra, and _that's_ what troubled him. He didn't care if Mako ended having romantic feelings for the ex-bender—but he didn't want to see Korra end up hurt. He'd been on the receiving end of that kind of hurt—never mind that that _hurt _had been at Korra's and his own brother's _hands_—and he knew how excruciatingly painful it could be. _That_ would be the one thing that would have him objecting to there being anything romantic going on between Tahno and his brother. It wouldn't be right for Korra's sake.

Plus, Korra was in trouble and everything—

The confliction was just too much for his usually upbeat, jovial demeanor. Bolin wasn't used to dwelling on serious, troubling thoughts—ones that weighed a person down with their mental burdens. But he was stuck with it now, and it was weighing down his ability to hold onto the lighthearted aspects of his personality.

_Think about something else,_ his conscience encouraged him. He made an attempt at that. Senna's cooking—it had been good, authentic; much better than anything Narook's could serve up—

"Aren't you getting cold just standing out here like this?" Asami's voice took him from his forced thoughts of Southern Water Tribe cuisine. Bolin turned his head to see her standing beside him, emerald irises fixed on him curiously. He smiled awkwardly, shrugging lightly.

"Yeah, it kinda is. But it's also refreshing in a way," Bolin replied, offering up one of his goofy grins. She smiled in return.

"So—what's up?" Asami asked him. "Where's Mako?"

"He said he was going to spend the afternoon at the Avatar temple to pray or hope for Korra's safe return—or something like that," Bolin responded. He turned his own emerald orbs her way. "Hey, Asami—have you noticed anything going on with Mako lately?"

"What do you mean?" Asami looked at him quizzically.

"Do you know if there's something going on between Mako and Tahno at all?" Bolin's question off-guarded her some.

"I'm not sure," Asami stated. "I know that Tahno likes your brother—a lot—but I don't know if there's anything really _going on_ between them." She shrugged. "Why?"

"I once overheard Tahno tell my bro that he loved him right after Mako regained consciousness following that incident with your dad," Bolin replied, scratching at his collar awkwardly. "I don't think either of them know that I overheard it, and for right now—I'd prefer to keep it that way. I just—I guess it's been bugging me a lot lately. I'm worried about Korra and this whole situation involving the spirits and everything, and—I guess…I don't want to see her hurt by the one she's closest to when she returns…you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do," Asami replied, and the earthbender knew that she did. She knew how much it hurt to be burned in a relationship. "Hey—why don't we go into town and take our minds off of everything and just have fun? I could use a break." She looked at him squarely. "How about you?"

"I'd be up to that," Bolin replied, some of his usual enthusiasm returning. "It's better then standing out here in the cold."

Asami nodded, feeling a chill run through her. "That's for sure."

XoXoX

_Before him stood that very same behemoth of a twisted and gnarled growth reaching up towards the ocher horizon that he'd seen before. The very same twisted branches, the very same cavern that ran underneath the giant, grotesque looking tree—the same sepia intoned atmosphere. Tahno also felt the same apprehension wash over him as he entered the cavern in much the same way as he had before. It twisted and turned in the same fashion as he remembered, the shadows cast in the same manner—and the same eerie beast existing at the end of the dismal labyrinth._

_Koh—the Face Stealer; a creepy and disconcerting sort of spirit with the ability to snatch the faces of those in his company if they expressed even a hint of emotion in his perceptible presence. A spirit that happily showed off his prizes to his visitors by displaying the faces of his many victims across the void where his own face should be. A spirit that was amoral by nature—neither good nor evil—but definitely not one to be messed with._

_Tahno knew now that he had to be careful while he was trudging the depths of the dreaded spirit's lair. Why he kept being summoned here, he didn't know. Or was he willing himself there? Or was it all just a dream?_

_The Face Stealer's centipede-like back was turned towards him, Koh's face out of sight. As the ex-bender cautiously proceeded forward, the eerie spirit remained turned away from his presence, attention drawn towards something elsewhere. _

"_I have been waiting for you." That very all-too human voice spoke, a voice that by no means complemented with its possessor. The voice was too normal in contrast with its hideous source. Koh turned slightly, not enough to face the ex-bender, but enough to expose more of his side profile. "Your last visit was—abrupt. Someone chose to interrupt it."_

"_Why do you keep summoning me?" Tahno questioned, struggling to keep his expression neutral. Luck was on his side so far. "Are you in on Avatar Korra's abduction—or are you the one responsible for the whole deal?"_

"_You're such a unique specimen, are you aware of that fact?" Koh answered in an offhanded manner. "Desirable, unique—not like the rest."_

"_What are you getting at here?" Tahno barely managed to keep from raising an eyebrow quizzically. _

"_Remember what I told you during your last visit here—the tale of Avatar Kuruk?" Koh asked, sounding cryptically philosophical. He turned his massive, centipede-like body to face the ex-bender; the face cast across his features the one of the porcelain mask with the exaggerated, carmine lips. _

"_Yeah—you said you abducted his fiancé to punish him for his arrogant ways," Tahno remarked. "You compared the old me to him. So—what's your point?"_

"_Run over the details of the tale," Koh responded, coming disconcertingly close to the ex-bender. "If you remember them in greater detail, tell them to me."_

_**What's the point to this?**__ Tahno argued inwardly. "Kuruk was carefree during a time of peace. He became a bit of a showoff; displaying his bending in contests with others to prove he was stronger than them. He became arrogant as a result, and—because you didn't think he made a good role model being like that—you taught him a lesson by abducting his fiancé and stealing her face. Does that sound about right?"_

"_What can you derive from Kuruk's tale?" The Face Stealer asked him._

"_That I used to be like that—that yeah—I was an arrogant little bastard once upon a time, and someone came along and taught me a lesson in humility the hard way," Tahno replied with restrained frustration. "Am I getting hot or cold here at all? Is my answer even close to what you're looking for?"_

"_You're lukewarm, young man," Koh told him. "You've figured out a part of it, but there's still more in Kuruk's tale that you can derive answers—solutions—from."_

"_Like what?" Tahno questioned him. A thought occurred to him. "Does this have something to do with Korra's abduction? Did __**you**__ play a role in that to teach __**her**__ a lesson for being frivolous with her responsibilities or something? Afraid she'll go down the same path as her past life, Kuruk?"_

"_Have you ever heard of the law of cause and effect—the force commonly known as karma?" Koh's responding question caught the ex-bender off-guard, but he managed to keep his expression neutral. It had been a struggle though—one he came very close to losing._

"_The theory that if you do something good, you'll receive good fortune, or if you do something bad, it'll come back to bite you in the ass," Tahno responded, getting a little sick of these guessing games. "Does that sum it up enough for you?"_

"_That comes close to describing aspects of karma," Koh responded. "__Karma is about an action an individual makes and the effects that result from those said actions—the consequences created by those said actions._ _Do you feel __**you**__ have dealt with karma due to your own actions?"_

"_Yeah, yeah—I have," Tahno remarked with restrained irritability. "I faced a shitload of bad Karma after my confrontation with Amon. Felt like the last several months I've been nothing but cursed."_

"_Think beyond yourself for a moment," Koh responded. "Think about Kuruk's tale and how karma relates to it; also think about how karma relates to the actions of young Avatar Korra, as well as that of others you are currently dealing with in your life. The Avatar's lover, and those connections in the web of her life—the Sato girl, her father—"_

With a shock to his system, Tahno found himself suddenly awake and alert, back in his normal reality. The surroundings were that of the room his mother designated as his, a room that was a part of a larger inhabitance that was just one of many in the Southern Water Tribe. It wasn't the creepy, dark and foreboding landscape of the Face Stealer's lair, or the base of the twisted monstrosity of a tree where his lair lay beneath. It was just normal reality—a pleasant, mundane reality.

That is—until he noticed the _stain _existing across the room from him. _Him,_ Tahno thought angrily.

"I told you that I wouldn't listen to you," Tahno raged in a hushed voice, trying not to arouse his company from his slumber. Mako was still curled up beside him. Lying on his side, taking in even steady breaths—his expression during slumber beautifully serene. "So go away already and leave me alone. Can't you see I've got company?"

"If you care about that boy beside you even a little—you will come with me and hear me out," Noatak informed him, his form more semi-translucent then his last visit. He didn't approach the ex-bender nor directly confront him, remaining in his shadows, looming on the edge of darkness and light.

_Much like he did when he was alive,_ Tahno thought to himself. "Okay—I'll go if you promise to make this quick—and don't criticize me about him, me or what we did together earlier."

"I don't care what you two do—or _did; _what's more important is that I manage to get through to _you."_

"Okay, okay—let me grab a few things and get dressed, and then I'll meet you out by the fire pit," Tahno breathed in response. _Amon_ gave the slightest of nods before shifting further into the shadows until he disappeared. In the meantime Tahno hastily grabbed for his clothes that littered the floor and dressed quickly. A few moments later he was sitting by the fire pit, embers still glowing underneath half-charred logs. While he waited for the disturbing presence to show up, he stirred the logs with the poker.

"Will you listen without closing you mind off to what I have to say?" _Amon _suddenly appeared by his side, his voice causing the ex-bender to jump and involuntarily yelp.

Once he settled his nerves, Tahno replied, "Yeah—just get on with it."

"You remember confronting my brother, Tarrlok, back in Republic City—correct?" Noatak asked him. Tahno looked at him oddly.

"Yeah, how could I forget? He's just as annoying as you are, and just as freaking persistent," Tahno grumbled. "But your brother has at least one redeeming quality: he doesn't give me nightmares like _you_ do."

"Are you ever going to get past that?" Noatak's cold, azure eyes were on the ex-bender, response clipped.

"Do you think an ordeal like that is _easy_ to _get over_?" Tahno piped up angrily. "I know that I wasn't the prime example of what a bender should be—I know I had some major flaws, I realize that now—but did I deserve a lot of the shit I suffered through afterwards?" Tahno got to his feet and started pacing. "I got beat up _quite _a _few times_—sometimes to the point where I could've died if I didn't get treatment by the healers when I did. I was physically assaulted in ways that nobody—regardless of what they've done—should ever be subjected to—_plus_ the fact that I lost my boyfriend because of what you did to us." He stopped pacing and shot a harsh glare in the former Equalist leader's direction. "Do you _really think_ I'd get over what you did to me _so easily_?"

"If you knew how much danger both you and the Avatar are in—you'd set aside your issues and just _listen," _Noatak insisted impatiently. "Can you do that for me—or are you going to continue to be stubborn?"

Tahno plopped down by the fire pit, opposite from _Amon_. He sheltered his gaze, icy blues gazing off to the side of _Amon_ and not looking directly at him. "What kind of danger are me and Korra in—and what do you know about the Face Stealer, that spirit calling himself Koh?"

Amon looked confused. "Why are you asking about Koh?"

"He keeps summoning me while I'm sleeping; he also keeps telling me the tale of Avatar Kuruk and asking me these cryptic questions and giving me equally cryptic answers that I don't quite get the meaning behind," Tahno remarked, not shaking as much with anger as he was before. "So—what do you know about him? Anything that's useful?"

"I should be telling you about what I came here for first, but—" Noatak breathed a conceding sigh. "Hiroshi brought up Koh and Avatar Kuruk's tale with me once; it helped influence the cover story for my campaign to conceal my bloodbending technique—the one that I used to strip benders like you of their bending. Hiroshi was the one who actually gave me the inspiration to tell the masses I had been visited by the spirits. Koh is dangerous, and—from the tales I remember being told as a kid—he can be vengeful. As I'm sure you're aware—Koh abducted Kuruk's fiancé, Ummi, as payback for his arrogance."

"Do you know if Koh's responsible for Korra's abduction?" Tahno asked him seriously.

"I'm not sure who exactly is pulling the strings of the operation beside Hiroshi, but it's a very real possibility," Noatak replied. "Hiroshi has reason—in his own deluded way—to believe that Avatar Korra's a stain he needs to cleanse the world of—along with all the rest of the benders—and Koh might appeal to his motives. As for whether there's anything to confirm a connection between the two—"

"Tahno? I thought I heard you screaming something a few minutes ago." Mako emerged from the other room, a blanket carelessly wrapped around his waist. "What's going on out here?"

It took the ex-bender a few moments for it to register in his mind that the _monstrosity_ that had been sitting across from him at the fire pit a moment before had vanished—and that a half naked Mako had taken his place. "M-Mako? Um…yeah—I had a disturbing visitor just before you came into the room."

"Oh? Who?" Mako got up momentarily to take a seat right next to him, making the effort to clear some still-lingering tears from the ex-bender's face. Until the firebender made the effort the ex-bender had not realized that a few stray tears had slipped down his face.

"Amon—_again,"_ Tahno replied, an edge in his voice. "The bastard's persistent, I'll give him that."

"What did he have to say this time?" Mako asked him.

"Pretty much the same thing he was harping at the last time—that both Korra and I are in some serious danger. What exactly—he left before he got a chance to explain that. "

"I've noticed that spirits have a tendency to leave when I show up," Mako noted. The ex-bender shrugged lightly.

"Yeah, now that you mention it—I noticed that too," Tahno replied.

"What else did he say?" Mako asked him. "Did he say anything else?"

"Yeah—I had another one of those dream confrontations with Koh, the Face Stealer," Tahno told him, adding, "I decided to ask him about it, and from what I could interpret from what he said—there's a possibility Koh's working with Hiroshi in his plot to bring an end to bending."

"Koh, the Face Stealer, huh?" Mako said. "After what you told me earlier and what Korra told me about her talk with Avatar Kuruk, I guess I wouldn't be surprised—but…if it's true…it makes me worry about what's happening with her a lot more."

"After what I've learned about Koh—the feeling's mutual," Tahno pressed his face into his hands. After an undetermined length of silence he raised his face from his hands and eyed the fire, noticing that since the firebender made his entrance into the room it had started fading out. "Hey—you're a firebender. Do you think you could get the fire roaring again? It's looking pathetic, and I'm not really good at getting those things started up."

"Yeah, I can handle that," Mako got to work stirring up the embers, adding a little extra added spark to get the fire up and roaring again. It came to life; it's bright fury providing them both with emanating warmth that was comforting. The two of them stared at the dancing flames for some time, the silence getting to the firebender eventually. "Um…do you remember asking me once if—if it weren't for my relationship with Korra…if you—we would've had a chance at developing something beyond friendship?" He forced his eyes away from the fire and towards the ex-bender.

Keeping his eyes on the fire, Tahno responded, "Yeah…I asked you that the night I saw your father's spirit, I-I think. What about it?"

"I-I just…if it weren't for the fact that I-I love Korra and—don't want to end things with her…I—um…" Mako struggled to gather his thoughts, put the words out there in some coherent fashion. "I _would_ want to be with you. I care about you _that much_—and…and—there's a chance I…_might_ love you back." He turned his eyes back towards the fire, hoping the colors of the flames reflecting off his face would cover the color that had taken over his cheeks. "I wanted you to know that, but—we can't tell anyone that we met up tonight to do…what we _did_—or that I admitted that to you. I enjoyed this—but nobody else can ever know about this."

"I-I wish it could be different, Mako...but—I understand," Tahno replied, disappointment evident in his voice. "I won't tell anyone about….well—tonight, but…I _need_ you to know…I enjoyed this—tonight—more than you'll probably ever realize."

"So, um…" Mako paused for a moment. "Do you, um—at all…feel more energized…than—you know…_before_?"

Tahno noticed the extra emphasis on the word _before _and understood what he meant. "I don't know," he admitted. "I guess I _feel_ better, but that could be from something else entirely."

Extra reddish color crept across the firebender's face. In an attempt to change the subject before the awkward silence could set in for too long, "I should be heading back soon," Mako told him. "I told them—Korra's parents and my brother—that I was going to spend some time at the Avatar Temple here at the Southern Water Tribe to pray for Korra's safety, and…if I'm gone for too long…it might end up looking suspicious."

"Yeah…and who knows when my mother will step back in, and—accidently see you like _this_ and make some wrong assumptions—or…for that matter…when that hubby of hers—Unrak, or whatever—will show up_._" Tahno mustered up enough willpower to look at the firebender, struggling to keep his eyes from wandering too much.

"Can you tell your mother to keep quiet about me paying you a visit here tonight?" Mako asked him.

"Yeah—I'll tell her," Tahno informed him.

"I think…in a moment—I'm going to get dressed, but—first…" Mako began unfastening the ex-bender's hastily refastened shirt, pushing it off his shoulders to about his elbows before leaning in to claim his lips once more.

XoXoX

_A/N: okay, that was my first official stab at writing something of that nature. I usually tended to avoid it in my prior __stories, but I wanted to explore the concept further and thought this would be the best place to experiment._

_Anyways, hope that wasn't too disturbing. It was fun, yet awkward, writing experience. I'll be getting the next chapter up shortly, so peace out! _


	12. Chapter 12

It was another day and a half before they all gathered together again at The Order's Compound. The gathering was smaller than the one a couple days before, consisting of only a few White Lotus officials, Kya, Bolin, Asami, Mako, and Tahno.

The group had needed that time to prepare themselves for whatever was to come, especially Tahno; the day after their intimate meeting he started to feel the draining effects his spirit-seeing ability had on his chi. Their intimate connection had rejuvenated him for about that long, but—like _Amon_ had suggested—the effects were temporary. He just hoped he had enough strength to sustain him through his journey and back again, and hopefully longer than that even.

It frightened him to think that it was starting to wear him down that noticeably—but he didn't mention a thing of it to anyone; he didn't want them to start worrying about him—or if he'd accomplish what he was setting out to do.

Lin had gone back to Commander Bumi's docked vessel to spend some time working out something from that angle. Tahno assumed she was just bored sitting around waiting for something to happen, and was more comfortable being around the likes of the United Forces Naval officers. It didn't matter to him that much; his mind was on other matters, like the fact that he—in the company of Kya and a few White Lotus members—would be heading out into unfamiliar terrain to accomplish the goal he was there for in the first place—retrieve Korra from the Spirit World.

While the others stood off to the side to observe the debriefing, Kya had dragged the ex-bender to her side as the lead White Lotus Official filled them in on the plans for their trek. Tahno zoned out through much of it, the instructions being a little formal and boring for his tastes.

"The trek should only take you less than a day to make, and you should all be there by nightfall," Tahno's attention came back into focus at the tail end of the instructions the head of the White Lotus Order was giving them. "Hizaki, a firebender—" The official indicated a pale complexioned, dark-haired and serious auburn-eyed woman in White Lotus garb. "—And Kohan, a waterbender—" He indicated a darker complexioned, forty-something looking water tribe male in similar garb to Hizaki. "—Will be accompanying the two of you on your trip. If anything should happen—if you face any difficulties along the way, or encounter Hiroshi Sato out there—I have instructed Hizaki to light a flare as a signal. We will send out a few scouts to investigate from there. We're hoping, however, that we won't have to resort to those measures, but Korra's safety is our utmost concern, and we're taking measures to ensure that as much as possible."

"Since the iceberg where my father emerged from his hundred-year internment landlocked itself some sixty years ago, it's made it easier to reach the location without having to resort to water travel to access it," Kya noted. "Which, I believe, is to our advantage—wouldn't you say, Tahno?" Her attention was fully on him, expectant for his acknowledgement, it seemed.

"Yeah—I guess," Tahno answered simply. Kya smiled briefly before adjusting to her more serious, back to business expression.

"We'll leave you two in Hizaki and Kohan's company so that you can better acquaint yourselves with one another before you head out," The Order's official informed them. "Good luck." He left.

"It looks like it should be a good day to travel to the _Most Spiritual Location in the Southern Water Tribe_," Kohan spoke up with hints of a smile on his face.

"Conditions look like they'll hold up for the time being," Kya replied. "We should have good weather to travel through—unless a freak storm crops up, which—hopefully—won't end up being the case."

"I need to make sure the flares are operable and stocked up," Hizaki informed the two. "I'll go look into some final preparations while the two of you make some final ones of your own. Kohan and I need to do a few things before we're ready to head out, so we'll meet out at the gate in about half an hour. Does that work for you?"

"Yes—we'll be ready and by the gate in a half an hour," Kya replied. Hizaki gave a formal nod of her head, and then she and Kohan quietly made their departure. The elder waterbender turned her attention back to the ex-bender once they were gone, retaining her usual cheerful smile again. "Why don't you go chat with your friends for a few before we depart? I've got a few things I need to look into before we leave, and I'm sure you don't want to tag along with me while I do that."

"Yeah, sure—okay," Tahno replied.

Kya smiled warmly at him. "Have fun." She left him standing there alone. The ex-bender approached those who'd accompanied him up to the South Pole, looking at them while he grew closer, specifically focusing on the firebender—Mako.

_After the two parted, Tahno adjusted his shirt again while the firebender collected his clothing. After redressing, Mako made sure not one piece looked disheveled or out of place—wanting to look properly presentable when he returned to Korra's parents' inhabitance for the night._

"_Do I look like I did before we entered your mom's place?" Mako asked the ex-bender. Tahno looked him over with a particular wandering eye, giving an approving nod and smile._

"_Nothing looks out of place." A thought occurred to Tahno. "Hey—I'm sure you want me to give this back to you, considering how precious it is to you and all." He reached for the length of rouge fabric that the firebender treasured from where Mako had left it folded up nicely earlier. He picked it up and brought it over to the firebender._

_Mako eyed the fabric, shaking his head. Tahno looked at him quizzically. "I want you to keep it for the time being. It might help you convince Korra that you're a friend—not a foe—when you go to retrieve her from the Spirit World. Plus—it might look suspicious if I showed up back at her parents place with it on me when I think most everyone's noticed it's been on you since we left the ship a few days back."_

"_I—guess that makes sense," Tahno hesitantly lowered his hand occupied by the scarf to his side. "I—I'll be sure not to damage it then."_

"_I'll hold you to that," Mako replied, grinning before making one last claim on the ex-bender's lips. "I should go now—before anyone notices I've been gone too long."_

"Hey—looks like I'll be on my way in a bit," Tahno spoke up as he came within a few feet of them. "Wish me luck?"

"Yeah, dude—good luck out there. Hope you get Korra back safe and sound," Bolin replied, smiling.

"Of course I'll wish you good luck," Asami told him. She approached him. "I hope you won't mind." She embraced him quickly, letting him go before he could protest. "I just—felt the need to do that."

"No offense taken," Tahno informed her with a hint of a smile. He turned his attention towards Mako, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "Hey, so—Mako…"

"Make sure you don't snag this on something while you're in the Spirit World," Mako stepped up to him and began adjusting the scarf around the ex-bender's neck—the red one he'd _loaned_ him. "Also—make sure Korra notices it, and make sure to tell her where you got it from. Be persistent if you have to. She's gotta know you're coming to her as a friend—not a foe. Got it?"

"Yeah—I'll be sure to inform her _explicitly_ that the scarf belongs to you," Tahno replied, his face involuntarily heating up as the firebender continued to carefully adjust the scarlet fabric around his neck. "Against all this blue—it'll stick out like a sore thumb." He was starting to feel really awkward when the firebender didn't let up fiddling with the scarf. "I think that's fine enough Mako. You keep going at it like that—I'll never get out of here."

"Oh, yeah—sorry about that," Mako stepped away sheepishly.

"Anything you want me to say to Korra for you, Mako?" Tahno asked him.

"Just tell her—circumstances changed, and—me and Bo couldn't stay in Republic City any longer, and…that I'll be waiting for her when she returns," Mako replied. "I'll tell her anything else I need to when she gets back."

"Okay, well…I think it's time I head before Kya decides to hunt me down and sings to me as punishment for holding up the operation." Tahno turned to make his departure, tilting his head at an angle to look back at them while giving the trio a grin and a friendly hand gesture.

"See you around."

Internally, he was telling himself, _I hope_.

XoXoX

The last couple of days had been hectic for Ishio at the station. With the constant outages, the barrage of complaints made about it and the criminal activity increase in its wake, he was kept on his toes.

"These outages are getting ridiculous!" An officer and a city official were caught in conversation with one another. The official's arms were flying around erratically as the man went on with his rant, being very animated about it in the meantime. "I've been told they keep checking in with the plant, to see where the problem's originating, and nothing's amiss. Yet these blasted outages persist. I'm starting to believe it's time for a change of management at the electric facility!"

"I wouldn't go that far with it," the officer commented. "The guy in charge has done a good job thus far. What's one blip to his record really?" He shrugged his shoulders. "It's probably something they haven't dealt with before, and they're having a hard time finding a source to the problem."

"Whatever it is, I hope they resolve it soon! I would like to take a warm shower again sometime _very_ soon!" Ishio couldn't help but be humored by the complaints made by those types—the rich, privileged, aristocratic. When one thing disrupted their routine, he noticed, they went off on ranting tangents that were oftentimes entertaining to watch.

Ishio, though, was more concerned for the lesser privileged, working class folks that had to deal with these outages disrupting their jobs and making more of them susceptible to Triad attacks. In their dark apartments, alleyways, and job establishments they became easier targets, and the police force had been stretched to their capacity tackling more cases than their caseload could handle.

For his own reasons, Ishio hoped the outages would be resolved soon. He sighed as another officer approached him about another case involving one of the triads that they needed to look into.

XoXoX

The air felt frigid and chilly—even for a good day. It was taking some getting used to, and Tahno still couldn't chase away the arctic chill he experienced from the Southern Polar environment. He was constantly rubbing his gloved hands together to keep them warm, and he'd pulled Mako's red scarf tighter around his face to further protect it from the chill. He couldn't wait to get this trip over and done with—so he could enjoy a nice hot dinner to warm up to.

The landscape looked pristine and untarnished by any possible looming threats. There were no signs that Hiroshi or his cohorts were anywhere nearby; oddly enough—that was both a cause for relief and apprehension for the ex-bender. Having the trip go smoothly without any interference from Sato was comforting, as he didn't know what he or the other three he was tagging along with would do if they ended up facing Sato's wrath along the way.

On the other hand—to have everything go so smoothly seemed a little...unnatural to him at the same time. Something lingering at the back of his mind seemed to feel like there was something wrong with this situation—it shouldn't be so _easy_—but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He didn't want to get weighed down by that kind of thinking.

"Are we getting anywhere close to where we need to be?" Tahno sounded whinier than he'd intended. Kya looked back towards him from the icy promontory she was currently observing the landscape from.

"We only have a half mile more to go," Kya informed him. "It should take us only a couple more hours of consistent travel to reach our intended destination."

"You getting a little chilled there, kiddo?" Kohan approached the ex-bender from his left side. "The chill around here can take a little getting used to if you're from a place like Republic City. If ya need them, I packed an extra pair of gloves that you can have." He patted the back of his pack with one hand.

"I need to become accustomed to the chill eventually—so I think I'll pass," Tahno replied irritably, a little perturbed at being called _kiddo._ "Thanks anyways though."

"If you change your mind—they're there." Kohan pressed forward, leaving the ex-bender trailing him by a few paces.

They travelled in silence for a couple hours—what felt like an eternity, really—before they reached a rocky cliff side of sorts. From the edge, Tahno noticed an eerie glow emanating from the depths below. As the party reached the edge, he held his breath at the sight lying there before him.

At the center of a shallow ice valley rested a perfectly spherical, glowing structure formed in the ice. Radiating from within the sphere came a bright, pale green illumination with an ethereal quality to it. The ex-bender couldn't be certain if the light's originating source was a gateway to the Spirit World itself, or the influence of some form of spiritual energy. Whatever it's cause, the eerie glow was enchanting to his eyes, brightening up the scenery in a landscape ready to be consumed by twilight's shadowy minions.

"That's our destination," Kya declared with emphasized certainty as she came to stand by the former waterbender's side. "We'll pitch a tent and set up camp here for the night, and in the morning you can head in there and do whatever you need to do to gain access to the Spirit World. It's getting dark—and it'll be better for you to take that adventure of yours at daybreak."

"Hey, kiddo—do you know anything about pitching a tent?" Kohan called out from where he'd dropped his pack.

"No—I've never bothered to pitch one before," Tahno bristled at being addressed as _kiddo_ once again, which Kya took note of.

"Hey, Kohan—do you think you could refrain from calling Tahno _kiddo_?" Kya asked the White Lotus waterbender. "He's a little old to be called that—considering he's in his early twenties."

"Huh—I thought you looked sixteen. My bad—didn't realize you were twenty," Kohan said to the ex-bender, who in turn tried to visibly shrug it off as nothing.

"Let's get camp set up," Hizaki reminded them seriously. "Nightfall draws near, and we won't have much light to work by to properly pitch the tents and get a campfire going if we dilly-dally around much longer." She was busy removing gear from her bag. Kohan went to assist Hizaki while Kya helped the ex-bender get his gear set up.

XoXoX

He made an attempt to light it one last time.

"Come on, come on—just light already!"

Shaozu fiddled with the dial on the stovetop, trying one last vain attempt to light the burner, but in a bout of anxiety released frustration, he turned the dial back towards the off setting and stepped away from the oven.

He hadn't missed his firebending until these recent power outages. Now—he wished he could just ignite the burner with a quick motion of a hand, a quick thought. Knowing that wouldn't be a possibility though, he stepped out of the kitchen and grabbed his jacket and keys.

"Hey, Mei Lin—we're gonna have to go out for something to eat," Shaozu shouted out to his girlfriend. She emerged from the hallway leading towards the back bedrooms, dressed in casual Earth Kingdom garb.

"Do you think there'll be any restaurants open during these crazy outages?" Mei Lin asked him.

"There's a place nearby that should be open," Shaozu told her. "The place's run by a firebending master, who keeps a generator at the back of his establishment for cases like this. Guess he figured it'd bring in business when everything else's down."

"Are you sure the place will be open?" Mei Lin inquired a scant dubiously.

"It's owned by a family friend—I'm sure the place is open," Shaozu assured her. He smiled. "Dressed for the occasion?"

"Give me a moment," Mei Lin disappeared down the hall. Shaozu waited. When she returned they left.

XoXoX

_Once again Tahno found himself in unfamiliar territory. Unlike last time, however, this landscape was pleasant—even breathtaking to take in the sights of. Fields of vibrant verdant grasses spanning across rolling hills, umbrella-like canopied trees unlike any he'd ever witnessed in any reality rising towards a bright sky—fauna and flora of which he was never familiar and didn't have proper names for._

_He didn't know where this landscape happened to be—but he could manage a guess._

"_The scenery here in the Spirit World is breathtaking, but there are more urgent matters to deal with than taking in the sights."_

_A voice took him from his scenery fixation, bringing the ex-bender's eyes to a figure standing out of his current peripheral range. He turned his body so he could better focus his sights on this rather humanoid spirit that happened to be in his presence._

"_I take it that's where this is then?" Tahno asked the spirit—a man he noted was garbed in the traditional attire of an airbender. _

"_Yes, I summoned you here to discuss a few things I feel are important." As the ex-bender focused more closely on the man—his shaved head, the arrows that twisted around his arms and adorned his hairless scalp—he began to realize just __**whom**__ he was addressing._

"_Didn't think I'd ever come face to face with you—at least not while I was still alive anyways," Tahno stated. "You're Avatar Aang, right?"_

"_Yes."_

"_So, hey—what'd you summon me here to discuss?" Tahno asked curiously._

"_There are a few reasons," Avatar Aang replied. "First—I can sense that this new capability of yours to deal with spiritual matters is depleting you slowly of your chi. Without Korra, I can't help fix that problem for you, but I __**can **__alleviate it somewhat by replenishing some of your essence so you'll hopefully have enough strength for your journey until Korra can help you out. I can also sense that there is an energy source linking you to your world so you are able to make the trip and back—but without my assistance you will still be faced with significantly negative physical repercussions upon your return with Korra."_

"_I'd greatly appreciate that. I've been feeling the effects more lately; it's been taking me longer to recover my energy than I like, and—considering the fact that I'm not sure how much longer I can endure at the rate I'm going—I'd rather be safe than sorry," Tahno replied._

"_I believe it'll be enough to carry you through what you need to do—but you'll still need Korra to reverse the effects by restoring your waterbending," Avatar Aang informed him. He approached the ex-bender, raising one hand up to his forehead while placing the other on his chest, near his heart. The move was reminiscent of Amon's actions made against him, and Tahno couldn't help trembling involuntarily at the memories. He relaxed as he felt the flow of energy passing through him, revitalizing him of his depleted strength. He closed his eyes, basking in the soothing sensation._

"_I'll be waiting for your arrival in the coming hours. Be on the lookout for my skybison, Appa—as he'll be the one who'll be your guide into the Spirit World," Avatar Aang told him._

"_Yeah—the Moon Spirit told me about that," Tahno responded. "So—what else? Is there more you need to tell me?"_

"_I need you to know that it's very important that you get Korra out of the Spirit World. She's trapped here, and she can't leave here without your help," Avatar Aang informed him. _

"_Don't worry—I was going to put in every effort I could to get her outta here when I arrive, fight off a few nasty spirits if I have to in order to accomplish that," Tahno assured the previous Avatar. "I promised a few people I'd do that—and I've made it my personal responsibility not to let them down." As an afterthought—a disconnected idea really—he added, "—especially Mako."_

"_**Wake up**_."

The voice brought Tahno abruptly back into his own physical presence, shooting him upright with a start. It wasn't the tone of the voice or even the volume of it that sent shockwaves shooting through him and immediately woke him; the voice spoke with natural, even intonations—normal really. It was the source of the voice that shook him at a cellular level and resulted in his involuntarily awakening.

For an instant Tahno's eyes caught hints of pallid daylight filtering in through a minutely parted tent flap. His icy blues then focused on his mental _intruder_—a spirit he loathed and despised both in life and in the man's death.

"There are some urgent matters I _need _you to hear me out on," that loathsome spirit spoke again, sending shudders up the ex-bender's spine. "It concerns Avatar Korra and Hiroshi Sato's plans."

"Why should _I_ listen to _you?_" Tahno glared pointedly at the nightmare-inducing specter. "Especially when it concerns the Avatar? You had a thing out against Korra, and hell—for the rest of us benders as well. Hell—Hiroshi Sato was working _for you_ while you were on a mission to make everyone else's lives miserable!" As he was speaking he struggled to keep his voice down; dim illumination coming in through the crack of the tent flap suggested it was only dawn—and he didn't feel like waking the rest of his company from their slumber with his angry shouting. He looked at his unwanted _visitor _with perceptible disdain. "Amon, Noatak—whoever the hell you are or were—"

"Set aside your personal issues with my presence and just listen to me!" Noatak cut him off. The man's gaze on the ex-bender was hard and unyielding in its striving to grasp his attention.

"Why should I?" Tahno shouted in retort.

"Wasn't I correct about your energy depletion? Have you noticed feeling distinctly weary since I made note of that to you?"

"You were correct about _one thing_!" Tahno snipped angrily. "That doesn't make me trust your word any more than before. It'd take a lot more than that to gain enough trust to take your word for it!"

"Stop dwelling on your personal issues, you idiot!" Noatak snapped at him. He knelt down and got in Tahno's face—getting fully confrontational with the increasingly apprehensive ex-bender. "The situation the Avatar's in is dire—and what Hiroshi Sato's planning to do is too extreme even for me to have agreed with when I was still alive." He got right in Tahno's face; if the specter had been alive, the ex-bender would have easily felt each dispelled breath brushing uncomfortably against his skin. "I know you're aware of what Sato's planning to do to benders, including the Avatar. What I need _you _to know is how he's planning to accomplish this goal of his, and also that he has the Avatar—"

"Tahno, is everything okay in there?" Kya's voice provided the ex-bender a grateful reprieve from his disconcerting confrontation with the specter representing some of his worst nightmares. She parted back the tent flap, revealing more intense daylight—an indication that it was a little later in the morning than he first perceived. "Hizaki and I were just getting everything together to prepare breakfast with, and while I was passing by your tent, I thought I heard you shouting something."

"It is now," Tahno replied, obviously relieved. "Had a bad spirit bugging me, but you thankfully chased him away."

"That's good," Kya responded, smiling. "Breakfast's almost ready, and it's getting late. We'll be eating shortly, and you'll need to head out soon. There's a storm looming, and it could hit us as soon as this evening."

"Give me a few minutes to myself, and I'll be right out for breakfast," Tahno told her.

"Mind me hanging near the tent while you're getting ready?" Kya asked him.

Normally, he would've irritably told Kya he needed his space, but with the possibility of Amon coming back in her absence, Tahno felt her presence was more than welcome.

"Nah—I wouldn't mind at all."

XoXoX

The air was cold—frigid—as its gentle breeze caressed the exposed skin of Asami's face. Nervous, unwound—she'd awoken a bundle of nerves that couldn't be stilled by sitting around indoors.

Asami found herself standing in front of the Avatar temple—why…she could only explain to herself that she was there to pray for Korra's safe return—for the outcome to be favorable in both the Avatar's and Tahno's cases. The bright orb of the sun lit the heavens with pale amber ambiance, much of the sky far overhead still partially tinged in pinks, oranges and deep lavenders of departing nighttime.

The temple was silent; Asami was the only one wandering about its grounds. She rubbed her gloved hands together as she tried to keep them warm. All of a sudden, a shudder ran through her, and she knew it wasn't from the cold. She got the sense that something dark was looming nearby—something that watched her, waiting for something…she didn't know.

As she stood there, apprehension continually rising internally against her understanding, she felt that darkness growing nearer; she couldn't see it, couldn't physically sense it, but she knew, somehow—it was there. It edged around the fringes of her consciousness, touched on the borderlines of the fabric of her existence, and then—it enveloped her. Without any real warning, it overwhelmed her entirely and completely.

She felt like she was being possessed—restrained by a consciousness separate from her own. Intangible, insubstantial though it was, it took the reins and grabbed hold of her conscious mind completely. All she could do was watch helplessly through eyes she could no longer control as her feet picked up a steady pace and moved her away from the Avatar temple and out towards stretches of empty, uninhabited tundra.

XoXoX

Lin Beifong was keeping busy looking over the structure of Commander Bumi's newest naval vessel, checking out the handiwork of the metalbenders who helped design the rig, as well as the metal work that went into its structural design as well. She marveled at being surrounded by such a work of engineering artistry; it really was a wonderfully crafted vessel.

Eventually she emerged back onto the upper deck. Bumi was joking around with a few of his officers, showing that carefree attitude that Lin was certain the man inherited from his uncle Sokka. Bumi laughed loudly and unexpectedly, shaking the very molecules in the air with the jovial sound.

Lin approached the more serious, handsome Fire Nation prince, Iroh, who was standing by, observing, while Bumi was off on one of his humored tangents. His golden eyes met up with the metalbender's as he heard her approach, a slight smile touching the corners of his lips.

"Have fun inspecting the handiwork of the ship?" Iroh asked as she leaned her back against the railing beside him.

"The metalbenders who had a hand in building this rig were skilled," Lin noted in a neutral tone, with vague hints of awe in her voice. "Is he still telling the same tired old jokes?" She indicated Bumi. Iroh's smile became more distinct.

"It looks like he picked up a few new ones while we've been stationed here at the South Pole," Iroh informed her. "Some actually good, others…would've been best left unsaid."

Lin couldn't help chuckling slightly at that. "I'm certain there were a few bad ones in there, considering he takes after his uncle quite a bit."

"Good or bad—it's preferable to him being _too_ serious. Commander Bumi's boisterous personality keeps his crew refreshed and their morale up. Nothing wrong with that, if you ask me," Iroh told her.

Lin leaned heavily against the railing, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Bumi chatter on. "Has there been anything unusual to report while this ship's been docked? Anything from Republic City?"

"Reports of massive citywide power outages over the past few days, but nothing too serious so far," Iroh replied. Just then, the radio operator came running up on deck in their general direction, apparently in a hurry. He paused to catch his breath before he attempted to get Bumi's attention.

"Commander, a report just came in from Republic City that's urgent," the radio operator reported to him. "Your brother wishes to speak to you."

Bumi lost that jovial air and assumed a serious persona. "What's going on in Republic City? What's Tenzin got to say?"

"He believes they've discovered the source of the power outages, and the situation's grown quite serious," the radio operator replied. "Hurry—I'm not sure how much longer the connection's going to hold up. With the outages ongoing in the city…the connection could be lost easily, and we might not get it back for some time."

"Lead the way then," Bumi told him. He quickly disappeared inside the communications station aboard the ship, with a few officers following behind. Lin and Iroh meanwhile looked at each other.

"Wonder what's up?" Iroh said. Lin shrugged.

"Hopefully nothing that the police force and the city's officials can't handle themselves," Lin replied.

"Should we go investigate?" Iroh suggested.

"You suggesting that we should listen in on the conversation?" Lin raised one eyebrow.

"Something serious _could _be going on in Republic City—and since you're the one in charge of the police force there—I think you have a right to hear about what's going on there," Iroh told her.

"Might as well," Lin pushed away from the metal railing. "If something's going on back there—I want to know about it."

XoXoX

Mako's nerves were on edge. As he cast his eyes towards the flames burning in the fire pit of Korra's parents place, he couldn't help envisioning her being held captive against her will by hostile spirits—or Tahno getting severely injured during a showdown with those same spirits in order to get Korra safely out of there. It was a helpless feeling to have to stand by and wonder if things would work out or fail miserably while he couldn't step in to lend a hand.

After staring at the fire for so long, he no longer could sit there without going stir-crazy. He got to his feet, heading over to where his gloves, coat and boots were sitting, and hurriedly dressed in them. As he was finishing with his boots, Bolin emerged from the next room over.

"Heading out bro?" Bolin asked him as his brother got to his feet.

"Yeah, I need some fresh air," Mako told him. His brother nodded.

"Tense?" Bolin asked. Mako nodded.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Mind if I get some fresh air with you Mako?" Bolin asked.

"No, Bo, I wouldn't," Mako expressed a faint smile. "Hurry up and get your coat and boots on. It's freezing out there."

"You don't have to tell me twice, bro," Bolin grinned. He hurriedly stepped into his own boots and threw his jacket over his shoulders. Mako handed him his gloves before reaching for the door handle.

As they walked, they looked around at their surroundings. Dotting the landscape were other inhabitances, smoke emitting from the chimneys of a few of them. Snow crunched underfoot as the two moved away from the habited region towards a stretch of tundra that went uninhabited by human dwellings for miles.

About a quarter of a mile away from the patch of water tribe habitations the two brothers came near polar seas. Water stretched for an infinite distance, meeting up with the far off horizon. Both brothers trained their eyes on the far-reaching waters, remaining silent for some time before either drew their complete concentration away from it.

"Vast, isn't it?" Bolin turned his head in his brother's direction. The firebender nodded.

"Yeah—vast and cold," Mako replied.

"Hey, Mako—could I ask you about something?" Bolin asked out of the blue, drawing his brother's complete attention towards him.

"What do you need to ask?" Mako said to him.

"I've been meaning to talk to—" Bolin's voice ceased in midsentence, bringing his brother to shoot a questioning look his way. The earthbender's attention was turned away from him, towards something else coming from the direction they'd arrived from. Quizzical for a moment, he heard the distinct sound of snow crunching under heavily set footing coming from somewhere nearby.

Mako trained his eyes to follow his brother's gaze, linking them up with the culprit whose footfalls stamped down layers of soft, wet, white surface powder underfoot. The culprit was not one—but three. One was familiar and would be expected under normal circumstances; Asami Sato was approaching them, expression etched in grave seriousness.

Beside Asami was an unexpected sight—two, actually. Led by a gentle grip of one of Asami's hands was Naga, Korra's faithful polar bear dog. The other, towering over even the polar bear dog herself—was the spirit that attacked the Southern Water Tribe festival a couple months back; the very same spirit that lured Korra to the Spirit World in order to trap her there. Both brothers stood there, too astounded to utter any coherent speech. Mako and Bolin both looked at Asami helplessly, hoping to gain some kind of explanation from her.

Neither made real note of it, but there was something a bit…odd about Asami's gaze. Set upon an expression cast across her facial features that seemed unnatural for her, her usually luminous emerald green irises were glazed over and lackluster.

Bolin managed to strengthen up the nerve to speak. "So…what's going on, Asami? Why do you have Naga and—" He gulped, glancing quickly at the dark spirit. "The Spirit that was supposed to meet up with Korra here with you?"

"I'm not Asami. I'm currently just using her as a vessel for communication." The voice that emerged from Asami's lips sounded…off. Like some other entity had taken over possession of her voice box and was utilizing it. "After that silly former waterbending friend of yours wouldn't listen to me—I resorted to plan B."

"Dark Spirit—are you the one possessing Asami to speak through her?" Mako stated questioningly, eyes aimed at the hulking form of the spirit. "When you confronted us at the festival, you were able to speak on your own without relying on another source to do it through."

"This isn't the same spirit that confronted your party at the festival a few months back. That one was an imposter." Asami's face contorted into a severe frown, an expression that didn't at all seem natural on her face. "That spirit also isn't the one possessing your friend here, pretty Miss Sato. I—Noatak—am the one possessing your friend right now."

"Amon?" Mako exclaimed incredulously. "What are you doing possessing Asami? What business do you have with us—and why have you been pestering Tahno?"

"Because he's the one going to the Spirit World to retrieve Avatar Korra, and there were a few vital detsils I needed to fill your friend Tahno in on before his departure, but he was reluctant to listen to me."

"Obviously. I can understand why Tahno would be reluctant to listen to you, after what you did to him in the arena—and a good many benders afterwards," Mako commented.

Asami's hand stroked Naga's ivory fur as the former _Equalist_ leader continued to use her voice for his purposes. "The ex-waterbender made that very clear when I confronted him, but if he's going to be successful in his mission, there are a few things he's going to need to be aware of—and also have the evidence to back up a few things."

"Why should we believe you any more than Tahno did?" Bolin frowned, his arms crossed over his chest.

Asami's hand stopped stroking the polar bear dog's fur. "You guys—you have to believe him." Asami's voice sounded like her own once more. "I know it's hard to trust Amon after all he's done, but I can assure you—this_ is_ the real dark spirit that inhabits the South Pole. Amon was correct when he said the other one we dealt with was a fraud. The _real_ dark spirit's been traveling around the region, trying to catch Naga for the last few weeks since he noticed her aimlessly wandering around the uninhabited region of the South Pole. The spirit has also seen and heard things that the White Lotus officials need to be made aware of immediately. Believe me—listening to Amon will be _benefitting_ Tahno—not hurting him."

"That's really your voice, Asami? Amon's not trying to manipulate it for his own purposes?" Mako questioned her. Asami's eyes shone their usual luminescent emerald shade.

"Yes, Mako—it's really me speaking," Asami assured him, smiling. Mako recognized that she was being genuine—that Asami was the one in control of her own voice. An instant later, her eyes had that glazed over look again, and her expression twisted into one that was again not natural on her face. Her voice deepened once more, she added, "If you care about the young Avatar's safety and want to ensure that the former waterbender won't face scrutiny when he returns from his mission in the Spirit World, you will listen to what I'm saying and heed my words."

"Okay, Amon, we'll listen to you—for now, for Korra and Tahno's sakes," Mako replied. Bolin hesitantly nodded his agreement, frown drawn across his features. "Naga's presence here is enough to convince me to believe you—for the time being anyways."

"I have more pressing issues I need to investigate, but before I go—I need your assurance that you'll convince the former waterbender to listen to me when he returns," _Amon _said. "There is more I need to inform you all about—but I don't currently have the time, and I prefer not having to resort to possessing your pretty friend here in order to do so."

"I'll make sure to talk to him about it," Mako replied.

"Thank you." Asami's eyes regained their original verdant luster, and her expression softened—albeit with a sense of added weariness. When she spoke again, it was her voice. "Spiritual possession is physically taxing." She raised a hand to her head, closing her eyes.

"You okay, Asami?" Bolin asked her, concerned. She opened her weary eyes and looked at him, smiling wearily.

"Yeah, Bolin, I'll be fine," Asami assured him.

"_It's nice watching you humans converse amongst one another, but there's a matter of urgency I believe we should be addressing over idle chitchat."_ The Dark Spirit interjected, tilting his head to the side,voice deep and rich, ethereal as he spoke.

"As much as that spirit freaks me out—he's got a good point," Bolin stated, visibly beginning to shiver. "It's _freezing_ out here!" Naga howled her agreement; the three of them stared at the polar bear dog for a long, silent pause, and then broke out in a bout of uncontrollable laughter.

XoXoX

Everything in the landscape was vivid and bright; the details cast in hues more vibrant then any known in any ordinary reality. A nonexistent breeze lightly rustled the verdant grasses of the ongoing fields that seemed to spread on for miles; in that field overseeing the vast and vivid stretch of lightly rolling, grassy knolls she stood there, watching—waiting.

It felt like she had been there for an indeterminable amount of time. How long had it been—minutes, hours, days—weeks even? The passage of time was different in the Spirit World from the reality she was most familiar; she just knew she was growing impatient playing this waiting game.

Never really known for her patience, Korra was growing tired of overseeing the vivid landscape spanning around her on all sides—vegetation in many vibrant hues and shapes, the likes of which she had never witnessed in the world she was used to living in. She wanted to get this disagreement—or _whatever _it was—over with so she could go back home, be with her family, friends—her normal, happy life.

In the time span she had been standing around, waiting, she had been greeted by several unusual looking Spirits—but none matching the one whom she'd agreed to meet up with. Was the whole thing a ruse? She wondered to herself. Or did this spirit just have a seriously bad sense of humor by making her wait around too long before it finally showed itself?

Her predecessor, Avatar Aang, had been there for a short time, giving her information on the Spirit World and what she needed to do while she was there—but then, she noticed, he just disappeared. In his absence Korra began to ponder what it could be that drew him elsewhere—ideas ranging from the mundane to the trivial to the possibility that something was wrong. The more time that elapsed while she was standing there and he was absent, the more her mind dwelled on the possibility that something was up.

In the distance—the direction in which her back was facing—Korra heard the crunching of foliage, the approach of footsteps crushing grass blades that fell victim under the feet of the culprit making the noise. She believed it was Avatar Aang finally making his return into her presence—or possibly another spirit that happened to be passing through. She paid the sound little mind, hardly showing it any acknowledgment until the approach of footfalls came very near.

Korra turned around, ready to give her predecessor an earful about leaving her to wait there while he kept busy elsewhere when the words were lost at the tip of her tongue. They evaporated into an ethereal mist and became but imprints of ideas pressed upon her subconscious. She stood there, dumbfounded, with her mouth hanging agape and her turquoise blue eyes wide like two tropical pools, hardly able to comprehend whom she was greeting instead of Aang.

"What are you doing here, Tahno?" Korra finally managed to push forth from her frozen up lips. "Did you die or something?"

Korra was actually surprised she recognized his face. Her former rival had changed quite a bit since their last meeting; his face—it looked like he'd matured some, gone through some struggles that made him appear somewhat older. She also noticed his eyes—ever still so icy blue—didn't reflect either that haughty attitude he was known for, or the sense of defeatism she remembered from the last time they met.

"I was told you were in trouble—trapped here by the spirit that lured you to this place or whatever," Tahno replied, sounding much the same—albeit a little quizzical. She cocked an eyebrow upwards in question, hands coming to rest snuggly on each hip.

"The spirit I was supposed to meet here never showed his ugly face," Korra informed him, looking at him questioningly before adding, "So—what are you doing here, pretty boy? Like I said—did you die, or did you manage to get here by some other means I don't know about? C'mon—spill it."

"I came to rescue you and bring you back to the Southern Water Tribe because I was led to believe you were in trouble here," Tahno responded. "And no, I'm _not _dead—although it took me almost dying a couple times to make me able to come here in the first place."

"How is it that you came to know that I—" the words froze up in Korra's mouth at the sight of a piece of red fabric wrapped around the ex-bender's neck. "—Is that Mako's scarf?" She pointed to the red fabric in question. He looked down at it.

"Yeah…um—it is," Tahno told her. "I had a bad spell, and…he—I mean, Mako—helped me get through it. Guess we formed a friendship in the process. He's the one who told me about you being here, and—I learned from a few reliable sources that you were in trouble, that you were lured here as a part of a plan Hiroshi Sato's working. Well…things have gone to hell back there with Sato and everything, and…you're needed back there or something."

"How long have I been in the Spirit World?" Korra bothered to ask him.

"It's getting close to two months," Tahno replied. "I could go into some longwinded explanation about all the shit that's been going on since you've been gone, but we don't have the time to waste doing that. I'd rather get it out once we get back to reality and out of this crazy ass place."

Korra's expression softened. "Is—Mako there? I mean—in the Southern Water Tribe, that is?"

Tahno turned his eyes away from her, letting a moment of silence set in before hesitantly responding. "Yeah—Mako and Bolin, Asami, that crazy metalbender Beifong and a few others. They—can't wait for you to return."

"Well, then—let's get heading," Korra stated enthusiastically. The ex-bender offered a feeble attempt at a smile, something of which she took note. Her eyebrow arched quizzically. "Something up with you, pretty boy? There was a delay with your last response, your smile is just pathetic—plus I noticed that you turned your eyes away from me when you hesitantly replied a moment ago."

"I'm tired and I just want to get out of here," Tahno responded, not looking her directly in the eye as he spoke. "Are you ready to leave—or were you planning to stand around here a lot longer?"

Korra got the feeling the ex-waterbender was keeping something from her, but she was in no mood to argue with him in order to get him to spill. "Okay, pretty boy—let's get going then."

They walked through those unearthly fields in silence, not sparing a word between the two. Korra was watching the ex-bender from behind, pondering thought after thought about his presence, what it meant, what's been going on in her absence—a wealth of similar questions. A passing thought made her momentarily admire his appearance; when he wasn't acting all high and mighty—he actually seemed to be pleasantly attractive. She let that thought slip away from her, not wanting to pursue it any further because it didn't feel right to do so.

Eventually they approached what passed for a patch of woods in that part of the Spirit World. Standing amongst the _grove_ was Korra's predecessor and his skybison. Avatar Aang's eyes were on the two as they approached, his face drawn and expression nondescript.

"Time for you two to get going," Avatar Aang said to both of them. "First though—a word with Korra." He indicated for her to come to him with a gesture of his hand. Korra approached her predecessor without speaking, looking at him expectantly. He leaned near her ear and whispered something indecipherable to the ex-bender into it. When he moved away, their eyes connected. Her expression regarded seriousness as she nodded, her lips drawn into a narrow slip of a line.

"I understand," Korra told her predecessor before turning her turquoise eyes in Tahno's direction. She then began crawling up onto the skybison's back and got situated there. "C'mon pretty boy—I mean, Tahno—climb up here so we can get outta here." She patted the spot beside her on the beast's back. Breathing an exasperated breath first, Tahno said not a word as he climbed up beside her.

"What'd your past life have to say to you?" He asked her as he got situated. She shrugged, smiling with forced restraint.

"To hold on tight," Korra replied. "Which I'm gonna do—how about you?"

"Do you _think _I want to get thrown off the back of this thing?" Tahno exclaimed incredulously. She let out a peel of unrestrained laughter.

"Hold on tight then," Korra told him. "We're in for a very interesting ride."

"What makes you say—" The words were forcefully halted as the skybison took off with a jolt skyward.

The trip seemed rockier than it was when he arrived, and Tahno found himself holding on for dear life. Although he was not usually susceptible to motion sickness, the ex-bender had to force his eyes shut to keep the vertigo down and not lose his grip on the bison's furry back. He started feeling physically disoriented as they pressed forward—like some outer force was trying to take possession over him. When the sensation faded, he opened his eyes—and realized the trip was over.

Tahno attempted to gather his reeling thoughts as he climbed off the skybison's back. He gained his footing with a faulty gait as he tried to shake the daze from his mind. In his mental haze, he staggered from the site of glacial ice and jade luminescence. He lost track of what he was doing or where he was going as he stumbled his way towards the campsite where Kya and the Two White Lotus officials were holding up. When he reached the edge of their encampment, he noticed them rush over as his knees caved out from under him.

"Tahno, are you okay? Something happen? Did everything work out?" the former waterbender heard Kya's worried voice as he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Slowly, he felt his mind regaining its clarity. He saw the elder waterbender's face near his, her bright blue eyes shining with worry.

Over her shoulder, he saw Hizaki and Kohan running over. Hizaki's face was drawn into a serious frown, and Kohan's was quizzical.

"Where's Korra?" Hizaki questioned him. Tahno looked at her, perplexed, before turning his gaze to seek out the young Avatar he remembered making the trip with. Korra stood near the point where the ice declined into the valley from which they had just emerged, ironic smile cast across her face, her arms crossed over her chest.

"She's standing right over there," Tahno pointed in her direction, which their eyes followed. All three looked back at him strangely.

"Did something mess with your head, boy?" Kohan looked at him questioningly. The ex-bender returned the look, and then glanced back at Korra, who was still standing there, smiling.

"Looks like I'm having an out of body experience," Korra commented to the ex-bender.

"What do you mean—" Tahno exclaimed at her, but the young Avatar cut him off in midsentence. Meanwhile, Kya and the two White Lotus officials stared at him blankly.

"What I mean, pretty boy, is that I used meditation to gain access to the Spirit World," Korra informed him matter-of-factly. "Avatar Aang taught me how to do it. I guess while my consciousness has been separate from my physical presence here—somebody came along and took my body."


	13. Chapter 13

_As soon as the trio reached the White Lotus's South Pole headquarters, they were shown inside immediately and led towards the head of the compound. All it took was a glance at Naga and the Spirit at Korra's polar bear dog's side to convince the sentry at the gate that the situation was urgent._

_Due to the Spirit's size they all met with the head official out in the Avatar's training arena. Once the sentry got the trio and the Spirit situated with the head of that particular branch of The Order and took care of Korra's polar bear dog companion, the head official confronted the Spirit—asking what it's purpose was in coming there. The Spirit then began explaining what he knew—had learned. _

_A few higher ranked officials stood nearby along with Katara, the Southern Water Tribe's waterbending master. Mako, Bolin and Asami stood by on the sidelines, remaining present at the head official's request just in case they could provide crucial information._

"_My territory covers much of the vastly uninhabited regions of the South Pole, a region that doesn't receive much human activity in it all that often. Due to that, I found it odd that I've recently been witnessing unusual activity taking place within it's boundaries," the Spirit stated. "Some weeks back I remember seeing a couple heavily garbed figures transporting some cargo across the tundra towards a small vessel they had parked on a secluded stretch of shore."_

"_Spirit—were you able to distinguish the identities of these individuals roaming through your __**territory**__—as you put it?" The head official questioned the spirit. The spirit gave him a sidelong glance with its inhuman gaze._

"_They were too heavily disguised to even determine their gender," the Spirit replied, continuing. "A couple weeks after I spotted those two I noticed the young Avatar's animal companion—her polar bear dog—wandering aimlessly through my territory, as if in search of something amiss. At first I summed it up to the creature wandering off and getting lost, but as my curiosity led me to investigate the situation, I began to realize the true gravity of the situation. What those garbed figures were up to some weeks before, and why the Avatar's dog was wandering my territory as well."_

"_Can you tell me what it is you've learned, Spirit?" the head official asked._

"_I found out that those garbed individuals—their actions—were tied into the polar bear dog's need to wander my territory—that it all tied into something that happened to Avatar Korra," the Spirit explained, it's ethereal voice rich with serious intonations. "It wasn't until recently that I learned an imposter took my form in order to terrorize one of your tribe's festivals and make threats directed towards the Avatar. I wasn't aware until recently that the ploy was all an effort to draw the young Avatar out and lure her into a trap at their own devising."_

"_Are you suggesting that some individual devised a plan to draw Korra away in order to do her harm?" the official inquired of the Spirit. The Spirit aimed his inhuman eyes directly into the depths of the man's gaze._

"_Their intent was to separate the young Avatar's spiritual being from her physical body, which could be achieved if Avatar Korra were drawn to the Spirit World to confront the demands they made of her there through their diversion," The Spirit replied. "Another source recently brought it to my attention that the one responsible for this plot was a human hailing from one of your large human metropolises. A place he referred to as Republic City—and a man he called Hiroshi Sato."_

A couple hours earlier the Spirit made his departure from the premises, insistent that he needed to reach the safety of his sanctuary before the storm set in. Mako was there when the officials showed the Spirit out, along with Bolin and Asami right beside him.

Mako stared out at the darkening horizon—knowing well that it wasn't the approach of dusk setting in. He sighed as he kept his eyes set on the sight of the approaching storm, arms resting on the railing of the lookout station by the gate.

His eyes weren't just watching the approaching storm; Mako was searching for signs of the return of Tahno, Kya, and the two White Lotus officials that made the trip with them. Concern crept into the firebender's thoughts as his mind dwelled on the ex-waterbender; even if Tahno managed to retrieve Korra from the Spirit World—she wouldn't have a body to return to, and Mako worried that the two White Lotus officials would give the ex-bender scrutiny for it—that they would believe it was _a failure _on_ his account_, or proof that the ex-bender was still up to his old practices—being a _cheating liar._

The firebender also couldn't quell his worry for Korra's safety; he'd been hit full-force by the news the Spirit gave the officials on Korra's whereabouts, a horrible twisting feeling forming in his gut at the knowledge that she was in more danger now then he at first perceived. Her life—directly in the grips of Hiroshi Sato while she was helpless to defend herself—

Mako couldn't dwell on that thought—he _couldn't_. It would drive him to hysteria if he lingered on it too long. First and foremost—the priority now was to make sure Tahno was cleared of any wrongdoing—and the possibility of a guilty conscience.

And—if Mako was right in thinking that Korra would be spiritually present with the former waterbender and his party when they returned—create a communication link to her through Tahno.

His eyes finally caught sight of movement on the horizon. Far in the distance—coming from the far reaches of the icy tundra, he spotted four forms moving closer, slowly and consistently. Mako strained his eyes to be certain of what he saw; they were the ones out there—right?

XoXoX

_Hizaki's hazel eyes blazed with intensity—like none the ex-waterbender had ever seen before. She was in Tahno's face—too close for his comfort. During the whole trip, the female firebender had been drawn and serious, but now—_

"_I knew it was a bad idea for the Council to believe a single word you were saying!" Hizaki was practically breathing fire with each infuriated breath. The ex-bender could feel uncomfortable heat coming from each exhalation. "You were a lying cheating scumbag in the arena—and who's to say that has ever changed? You've probably been working with Hiroshi Sato all this time—sent by him to gain our trust and give us the run around while he's accomplishing his goals while we're being distracted by you!"_

_Tahno, meanwhile, could hear Korra's protests to the contrary. But nobody else could hear her. If only they could, he thought. If only—_

"_You're so proud of yourself for this accomplishment, aren't you?" The rage in Hizaki's eyes went beyond accusing; it border lined demonic. Ferocious, judgmental—"That's the nature of your kind—you filthy creatures who lack any sense of morality. Tainting our society with your filthy acts…I can't believe they put their trust in the words of a cocksucker like you!" The ex-bender flinched while she got further up in his face, her expression twisted in maniacal fury. "Now tell me—what__** really**__ happened to Avatar Korra? I know you know—that you're probably partially responsible for what happened! So spill it, you little fucker, or I'm going to bea—"_

"_Hizaki—get a hold of yourself!" Kohan tried yanking her away from the ex-waterbender by one shoulder. The White Lotus waterbender was well build and decently strong, but the female White Lotus firebender showed that she possessed hidden strength that even he couldn't combat. She pushed him aside with a harsh shove, getting back up in the ex-bender's face with fire practically emanating from the depths of her hazel-hued irises._

"_Tell me what you know__** right now**__—and I'll spare you from being taught a _**harsh lesson**_!" Hizaki's words seethed with ferocity, almost borderline hatred. She held up her fist, ready to strike. Deadly silence fell in. The incensed firebender looked ready to bring her fist down, but before she could execute the maneuver she was whipped aside by a well-formed tendril of water._

"_ENOUGH!" Kya's voice roared louder than Tahno expected it to. Her usually jovial expression was twisted in anger, ocean shallows of irises darkened dangerously. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation for what's going on here—and I'm certain Tahno has nothing to do with Korra's disappearance, so stop accusing him of something he's not responsible for Hizaki! Get your anger in check; we've got a long trek back to headquarters, and there's a storm looming near that could leave us all stranded out here if we don't get back before it arrives."_

_Hizaki picked herself up off the compacted slush she'd been knocked down onto, facial features evidently disdainful as she shot a glare in the ex-bender's direction. But she kept quiet._

"_We wouldn't want to end up stranded out here," Hizaki finally reasoned, her voice flat and devoid of emotion, conceding her contemptuous actions towards the former waterbender as she stalked off towards their campsite to get things in order. Meanwhile, Kya approached the ex-bender, her expression softening._

"_We'll get everything cleared up, don't worry," Kya offered him a reassuring smile. She turned her attention towards the downed White Lotus waterbender. "Kohan—why don't you go help Hizaki pack up? Make sure she keeps that anger of hers in check." Kohan got to his feet and gave a quick nod before following up Hizaki's path._

_Kya turned her attention back towards the ex-bender, smiling and giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before she went to disassemble their tents. Out of the corner of his eye, Tahno caught the young Avatar standing there, observant and a little troubled looking. She didn't say anything, but her eyes were on him, quizzical, concerned—curious—_

"Two lovers, forbidden from one another—" Kya's singsong voice took Tahno from his inner mental rehashing of events from earlier. Her voice soared over the whistling gales that were starting to pick up, carrying off into the oblivious distance. "A war divides their people…and a mountain divides them apart…Built a path to be together—"

"What are you singing?" Tahno remarked irritably. The elder waterbender ceased up in mid verse, looking at him and smiling.

"A song my father used to sing for me when I was little," Kya told him. "A traveling band of nomads taught it to him and my mother while they were on their adventures during their youth. It's one of my favorites."

"Why are you singing it?" Tahno raised an eyebrow.

"It helps to lighten the mood when things get too intense," Kya responded. She continued with the verse he'd interrupted her in the middle of singing. "Secret tunnel! Secret tunnel! Through the mountain! Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel! Yeah!"

"Can you quit with the noise?" Tahno acknowledged Hizaki snipping from somewhere behind them. Since the episode between he and the White Lotus firebender earlier, he'd tried hard to remain unaware of her presence. He could feel her constant, heated glare on him constantly; her extreme disdain aimed his direction. He was now aware of the fact that she was one he'd have to avoid ending up alone with, lest he face her wrath all over again. Just the thought of it made him physically shudder.

"That woman really went crazy on you," Korra spoke up from his side suddenly. The elder waterbender was caught up in a rendition of another verse of her _Secret Tunnel_ song, seemingly absorbed up in it even as Hizaki constantly yelled at her to shut up.

Tahno turned his eyes towards her. "Yeah…she did."

"Well…um—I wanted you to know that I believe you're not involved in my body snatching," Korra went on. "I mean—I've gotta believe that since…well—Mako wouldn't have bothered borrowing you his scarf if there was even a possibility of you being responsible lingering anywhere in his mind. Him making that gesture—Mako must really trust you to hand over his scarf like that."

"Yeah…I guess he does," Tahno responded.

"Besides—Aang told me what he knew about what happened anyways, and—from what I got from him…I know you're not involved in what happened—that it's probably Hiroshi Sato's doing," Korra added. Silence fell in between the two, all the while Kya kept up with her cheerful tune. Korra's eyes were on her hands, Tahno's forced straight ahead. "Um, hey—so…pretty boy—why did she call you a—um…cocksucker, and…what did she mean by that?" Her question caused him to visibly flinch.

"Ever heard of the concept of somebody becoming romantically attracted towards somebody else of the same sex?" Tahno grated. Korra remained quiet for a long pause.

"Yeah, actually—I have," she eventually responded, lifting an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"That hotheaded firebender probably heard the rumors going around about me and one of my teammates being caught up in a relationship like that, and probably finds the concept offensive," Tahno informed her in a harsh tone just above a whisper. Korra looked at him oddly, and then broke out in laughter. "What's so funny?"

"Hard to imagine you and one of your teammates in something like that when you had those hordes of fangirls practically hanging off you," Korra responded, laughter choking up her voice still.

"Well, it's true—I _was_ in love with my teammate, Ming," Tahno shot back.

"I wasn't disputing it—it's just that the fangirls made it harder for me to imagine it," Korra informed him. "When I think about it though—you and that earthbender teammate friend of yours seemed to give off some hints of chemistry between the two of you during our confrontation that one time at Narook's, and there were hints of it between you guys even when you were up there competing in the probending arena." There was a pause before she spoke up again. "So, what—was the whole adoration for the fangirls just a show? Do you only dig guys or something?"

"No—I don't just_ dig _guys—I'm into chicks too," Tahno hissed in irritation. The young Avatar was grinning mischievously, humored by how her questions were tormenting him. "I'll have you know that—before the three of us got really serious with probending, there _was_ a girl I had a thing for. Being the bastard he was though—my father chased her off."

"Huh—interesting," Korra commented. "Hey—so…if that's true—then were those _private lessons_ you offered me some kind of come on—or am I reading too much into it?" she inquired curiously. "Should I assume you meant it literally, or take it as being innuendo for something else?"

"I don't know how you should interpret it!" Tahno snapped, frustrated. "Frankly—I don't care either way. That was a long time ago—and I'm not even the same person I was when I said that."

"So…you and your teammate Ming have a thing then? How long's that been going on?" Korra asked him.

"_Had_," Tahno corrected her. "Ming—he…committed suicide almost two months ago."

"Wow—I wasn't expecting that outcome," Korra responded. She turned her eyes towards him, sympathy evident in her gaze. "I'm sorry to hear that. Can I ask what happened there?"

"I'm not sure what happened there," Tahno admitted honestly. "I assumed it had to do with the loss of his bending at first, and then he goes and tells me he did it _for me_ to protect me from something—"

"Wait, wait—hold on there…you _talked_ to him_ post mortem_?" Korra looked at him like he had an extra head.

"I already told you I can talk to the dead—remember?" He shot back irritably. "I wouldn't be able to talk to you right now if it weren't for that." She smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I…guess you mentioned that when you showed up in the Spirit World. Guess I forgot," Korra laughed nervously.

"Any more questions, or can we proceed our trek in silence?" Tahno asked her irritably.

"I'll be quiet for now, but eventually I want you to fill me in on all of what's been going on since I've been gone—including how you and Mako managed to patch things up with one another and all that," Korra informed him. Tahno cringed at the thought of the firebender, his insides twisting up over his conflicted feelings for him.

"Yeah—I guess I can get around to that sometime later," Tahno stated unenthusiastically. From that point Korra kept her word, and they traveled on in silence.

A half hour later, the Compound came into view ahead of them. Korra released an anxious gasp at the sight, a flood of memories overtaking her consciously.

"I wish I had my body," she murmured wistfully. "It's going to be painful not being able to confront my loved ones directly. Especially my parents—and Mako." The ex-bender felt guilty at seeing the melancholy lingering in those ocean shallows of hers.

"I'll…make certain that this isn't a permanent thing for you," Tahno informed her. "I…gave Mako my word I'd get you back to him, and—I'm going to stick by my word…no matter what."

As they got closer, Tahno spotted a few figures standing there waiting outside the gate. Anxiety built up within with each step that brought him closer to the Compound. Questions kept churning around in his thoughts: what would he tell them about Korra's actual whereabouts? Would they believe him when he told them that she was there in spirit—that something had happened to the young Avatar's physical body? Would Mako believe him—or would he react like Hizaki had and shut him out completely?

That last question tore him up inside. He couldn't stand the thought of disappointing the young firebender—or having Mako think ill of him like he had before.

Tahno was finally able to discern the identities of the individuals in the party standing at the gate waiting for them. Apparently, so had the young Avatar right by his side, because he heard her release a sobbing gasp of despair in recognition.

Mako's eyes met up with the ex-bender's, and he expressed a relieved smile. "Glad to see you guys made it back before the storm hit!"

"Just barely!" Kya shouted back. "The wind is starting to pick up."

"I have some troubling news to report," Hizaki reported to her superior and all present, tone crisp even in its serious formality. She approached the head of the organization, expression drawn into a severe frown. "The former waterbender wasn't successful in _his mission_."

It was out there. Tahno looked from one face to the next, apprehension building up inside that everything for him was about to be torn asunder. To his shock, however—nobody seemed surprised by the news. In fact—it looked like they were _expecting_ it.

"Details have come to our attention recently that explains why that is," Hizaki's superior informed her. It was Hizaki's turn to be startled.

"W-what do you mean by that, s-sir?" Hizaki faltered.

"Let's get everyone inside the Compound before we go over all of the details," her superior told her. "The storm's approaching quickly, and it's better for everyone to be safe than sorry."

The members of the Order were heading inside the compound, with the exception of Hizaki, who was still frozen up in her shock. Kya remained nearby, watching the four young adults. Her eyes were specifically focused on the ex-bender as the other three—the young firebender along with his brother Bolin and Asami got closer to him.

Tahno tore his attention away from the White lotus firebender, not wanting to acknowledge her presence any longer, and focused centrally on Mako. As he, his brother and Asami drew nearer, the ex-bender could feel the anxiety building up inside. He could also hear Korra's reaction growing louder and more pronounced.

"I'm sorry," slipped from Tahno's lips before he had any control over them.

"Don't be sorry," Mako assured him as he approached. "We already know what's going on."

"Mako—" The ex-bender heard the firebender's name slip from Korra's mouth, coming off sounding mournful.

Tahno attempted to step closer, but a sudden chill running up his spine kept his feet planted in place. As the chilling sensation quickly crept further up his spine and spread outward throughout the rest of his body, he felt himself losing control over even the simplest functions. His arms and legs wouldn't budge on command, and his lips were frozen from his ability to use them. The sense crept throughout until he felt like he was fully possessed by it. His mind was screaming in panic, but he couldn't physically react. To his utter horror, he was a prisoner within his own body.

Whatever chose to take possession of him went to work trying to form words with his mouth. What came out at first sounded like incoherent utterances. Finally, _whatever_ was using him as a vessel managed to form coherent words.

"Mako—" the ex-bender was surprised not only by the word his _possessor_ managed to formulate with the use of his mouth, but the emotion expressed in how it was spoken, the tone of voice used to say it. The voice sounded like his, but at the same time—like somebody else's entirely.

It almost had a feminine quality to it—

Before he could even conceive it, his body was put into motion by whatever force was controlling him. His feet picked up the pace until he was practically running. He felt overwhelmed by melancholy, grief and relief—feelings that were not his own. The ex-bender didn't even know where his feet were taking him until he was practically _tackling _his target.

Or, more so the intended target of whatever chose to possess him. Before he knew it he was clinging to the young firebender, his arms drawing him in to a tight embrace, their lips connecting with aggressive passion. The ex-waterbender's mind was practically screaming in panic—but one corner, one pocket of his consciousness was telling him to give in. Telling him to just _relax _and enjoy it while it lasted.

It wasn't like he was given much of a choice anyways. Whatever took complete control over him wanted this, and he couldn't put a stop to it regardless of whether he wanted to or not.

Finally, the force that had complete control over his body released him from its grips, and he pulled himself away from the firebender in an instant. He stepped back a few more paces, his face a mixture of red from oxygen deprivation and extreme embarrassment. When the ex-bender managed to look up and make eye contact with him, he noticed that Mako was just as equally red in the face and extremely flustered.

"Sorry, I-I don't know what happened—I-it's like something took over me and—" Tahno paused when he heard an abrupt eruption of laughter. Korra was bowled over on the ice-blanketed ground, caught in an uncontrollable laughing fit. He glared in her direction, releasing an angst-filled breath. "_Korra. _Damn it—do you know how _stupid _it was to _do that_ to me and him?"

Korra slowly recovered from her bout and looked up at him, grimacing some at the death glare he had aimed her direction. "Sorry about that. I couldn't control myself; when I saw Mako there—my instincts took over and everything got out of control from there."

"K-Korra? Korra's here?" Mako regained his composure enough to speak.

"Yeah—she's the one who took possession of me and drove me into doing that stupid act just a moment ago between the two of us," Tahno informed him. Korra was staring at him quizzically.

"I didn't think you would mind it that much—considering you like guys in that way and everything," Korra tried reasoning. Tahno rolled his eyes in response.

"Not with _every one_ I meet—I'm much more selective than that, you know," Tahno pointed out to her. "Don't assume—it just made an ass out of you and me."

"I'll remember that for future reference," Korra stated.

"That really was Korra then that drove you to do that?" Bolin looked at the ex-bender, severely perplexed.

"_Yeah—_your brother's girlfriend thought it was a good idea to take control of _my body _and use it to get in a make out session with your brother," Tahno clarified, agitated. He tried to keep his voice even, not wanting it to betray him in that moment. He sure as hell didn't want the earthbender to know that he _enjoyed_ kissing his older brother—and he didn't want to give Hizaki, who was still lingering nearby, a reason to criticize him like she had done earlier.

He also didn't want Korra to find that fact out either, because to learn that would probably lead to her questioning the extent of his attraction for Mako, which could even lead to him confessing everything. He didn't want that, and he was certain Mako didn't either.

Speaking of the firebender—Mako's face was still extremely red, albeit the fact that he wasn't quite as flustered as he had been a few moments before. It took a few moments for Tahno to realize the reason for that—a fact that the firebender was trying desperately to cover up.

_Spirits—he wasn't kidding when he said I could get a serious rise out of him—_

During that whole episode, the ex-bender hadn't noticed Kya's absence. When he thought about it though, he recalled her being summoned by somebody back into the Compound while the five of them—Korra included—were kept occupied by the Avatar's unexpected _stunt._ He hadn't taken the time to notice it before, but now—

"I'm sorry I have to break up whatever fun you guys are having out here," Kya spoke as she approached, her grave expression a dead giveaway.

"What's up, Kya?" Mako asked her, obviously glad for the distraction.

"First off, we need to get you all indoors before the storm hits," Kya informed him. "Even you, Hizaki," She shot a quick glance in the female White Lotus firebender's direction. "Also, reports haven't been coming in clear due to interference from the storm, but—it looks like there might be some trouble brewing back in Republic City."

"What's going on back there?" Bolin asked her.

"For the last few days the city's been ravaged by power outages. They haven't discovered the source, but—" Kya looked, troubled, up towards the tumultuous storm clouds. "After being confronted earlier by the spirit you guys brought in—the officials suspect it might be Hiroshi's doing."

"Spirit? What spirit?" Korra exclaimed, back on her feet.

"What are you talking about? What spirit?" Tahno echoed Korra aloud.

"The storm is fast approaching, and it would be best to get you kids indoors before it hits," Kya had her serious azure blues on the ex-bender. "I'll fill you in on all the details once we get inside."

"Leave that responsibility up to me, Kya. I'll fill Tahno in on what's going on. Plus—" Mako looked at the ex-bender specifically before continuing. "I _know_ Korra's with him, and—I'd like to be the one to fill her in on the details as well."

"That's fine, I'll leave that up to you then Mako," Kya responded, brightening up some.

"Let's head in before _we_ become casualties of the storm," Asami looked up to the churning clouds overhead with watchful eyes. They all looked to the skies, reluctantly nodding their agreement.

Korra pulled up beside Tahno as they headed in. "Hey, pretty boy—can you assure Mako that everything will be okay for me?"

Tahno nodded slightly before seeking out the firebender. "Hey, Mako—Korra wants me to assure you that everything will be fine."

Mako smiled. "Later, when we're able to—I want to have a conversation with Korra and you," he told the ex-bender. "While you were out on your trek—a few things cropped up that I think you need to be made aware of, and…I just want to talk to you…_one on_ _one."_

"Okay, if we get the okay to leave the Compound at all during this storm, come by my mom's place this evening—we'll talk then," Tahno replied.

Mako nodded. "Looking forward to that."

Tahno responded with a nod. His eyes wandered towards the firebender's hand hanging conveniently by his side. They were close enough that the ex-bender could have easily reached out for it, but he reluctantly kept himself from doing so. He kept his eyes held forward and thought only about it instead.

XoXoX

Lights flickered as they made their way down the street towards the downtown district.

Shaozu, his arm around Mei Lin's shoulder, observed the goings on around them as they made their way. Police officers were busy either assuring the city's citizens that their safety was top priority or tackling criminals taking advantage of the outages. A few storefronts along the way had their windows smashed in, the contents from within spilling out onto the sidewalk.

They were within a block of the restaurant when the flickering stopped, and the power was fully restored to the city. On a few nearby street corners and inside a few shop entryways the two of them could hear people cheering.

"Looks like they might've fixed the problem," Shaozu noted while the street illumination remained stable.

"Still up for the restaurant, or do you want to go home and make another attempt at lighting the stove?" Mei Lin asked him.

"We're already almost there. Might as well continue the rest of the way," Shaozu replied, adding with an infectiously cheerful grin, "Plus—now I'm kinda looking forward to some good old home-style Fire Nation cooking."

"I'm fine with that," Mei Lin replied.

They kept going, noticing the cheerful banter going on around them, until a loud broadcasted voice stopped everyone cold in their tracks—including the former firebender and his girlfriend.

"**Fair citizens of Republic City: you probably all have been wondering what has led to these massive power outages over the past few days. Rest assured—power will be restored in full shortly. First however—I have an announcement I want **_**everyone**_** in the city to hear."**

For an instant everything fell silent. The air was then filled with the sound of confused murmurs.

"_Who was that?"_

"_What does he mean by __**announcement**__?"_

"_Was it just me—or did that sound like Hiroshi Sato just now?_"

Shaozu and his girlfriend glanced around at the pedestrians nearby, shops filled with people spilling out to investigate, people emerging from their homesteads out of curiosity or concern.

"What's going on?"

"Sounds like Sato's broadcasting a long-range signal throughout the city."

"How's that possible? It'd require massive speakers and a lot of power."

"How should I know? I heard what I heard!"

"Wonder what's going on?" Mei Lin said, in a wavering voice just above a whisper.

"No clue, Mei Lin," Shaozu replied.

"**First: I would like to thank the city for generously supplying me with all the power I needed. I will need it in order to achieve my goal, so I greatly appreciate it."**

"**My goal—achieve what Amon could not. The world has been controlled for far too long now by those who possess elemental abilities over those who don't, and I believe it's time to bring forth a change."**

The streets were filled with stunned silence, tensed by building panic. Before the citizens could erupt in cries of panic—the former businessman carried on.

"**In three days the citizens of Republic City will be given a **_**presentation**_** of the plan I intend to fully enforce—and** **I will start my demonstration off with Avatar Korra**."

"**Don't think my claims too incredible. Unlike the fraud that Amon turned out to be—I **_**have**_** been conversing with spirits, and they have given me the divine right to accomplish the goal that Amon could not." **

The air was filled with disembodied laughter before all fell silent.

Shaozu and Mei Lin observed the people around them, noticing that most were purely flabbergasted. The former firebender and his girlfriend were finding that they too were having trouble wrapping their minds around the mad former businessman's proclamation.

"Shao, um…are you still in the mood to eat out?" Mei Lin asked in a small, troubled voice. Shaozu thought over the prospect; just a few moments earlier he was ravenous, but now—

"I think I lost my appetite," Shaozu told her. "Would you be satisfied with just snacking out of the pantry for tonight? I can light some candles and we can make it a peaceful evening at home."

"I-I think I would prefer that right now," Mei Lin replied.

"Let's get back to the apartment then," Shaozu put his arm protectively around her shoulders, and they headed back the way they came as quickly as they were able to.

XoXoX

Kami's mother had sent her out on an errand to pick up a few things from a friend of theirs nearby. She was fetching supplies to help them deal with the power outages, her mother told her before she departed. Her mother's friend had fortunately kept himself well stocked with supplies just in case something like this were to happen, and he and Kami's mother had know each other a long time.

Kami walked along the streets cautiously. She was in the middle of her trek when she noticed the power sudden come back on. A wave of relief washed over, a faint smile touching the corner of her lips. It faded quickly when she heard the former businessman's announcement broadcast throughout the city.

Trouble stirred in nearby doorways and street corners. All around her, citizens who happened to be out and about at the same time as she were beginning to panic, milling about nervously as tension in the crowd rose. Kami felt the effect of their behavior on her own, making her increase the speed in her pace towards her mother's friends place to pick up the supplies.

XoXoX

The storm struck full force just before dusk set in. The Order of the White Lotus's officials managed to get the four young adults back to the comfort of their previous dwellings before it fully set in. Korra's parents awaited the two brothers' arrival, and Kya showed Asami back to her mother's place for the evening. Lin Beifong remained aboard the docked vessel along with Commander Bumi and the young General Iroh for the time being. The ex-bender accompanied the brothers for a brief time, helping Korra communicate with her parents before heading back to his mother's dwelling for the evening.

The young Avatar tagged along with Tahno as he made his trek back in the company of the elder waterbender, silence falling between the trio as they made the trip. Kya issued him a quick goodnight before heading out in the storm back towards her own dwelling, but not before speaking with Kanani for a moment, brushing her up on all of the information that had come to light recently.

After Kya left, Kanani got to work prepping the fire for dinner, arranging all the dishes and silverware out while the contents of the boiling pot cooked over the flames. Tahno parked himself in front of the fire, warming his hands up by the flames. Korra took a spot right beside him, ocean shallows concentrated on him.

"Your mother seems…pleasant," Korra commented, breaking the ex-bender's focus on the dancing flames. "What I mean is—from what I knew about you during our probending days…I would've expected your mother to be one of those stuffy upper-class ladies, not somebody as hospitable as she turned out to be."

"My father was the stuffy type. My mom's always been friendly like this. It's the way she was brought up," Tahno replied in a voice loud enough for only the young Avatar to hear.

"Why didn't you turn out more like her?" Korra asked.

Tahno bristled. "Blame my _father._"

After a long pause, Korra inquired curiously, "So…is your mother the waterbender then?"

"Yeah," Tahno replied. "She hails from the Swamp."

"Huh, interesting." Korra glanced quickly at Kanani, who was chopping up something at the moment. "Um, can I ask you where your father—" Just then, the air resonated with the sound of knocking at the door. Kanani set the knife on the cutting board and went to unlock it.

"Nani, look what I managed to drag in from the storm," The duo by the fire heard Unrak's voice emerging from the other side of the open door. Neither looked towards the door as they heard feet stomping snow from boots before they traveled indoors and the door was shut behind them.

"That your dad?" Korra asked the ex-bender.

"No," Tahno replied quietly. "My dad's dead. That's my mom's new husband."

"Oh." Korra fell silent.

"What a pleasant surprise," Kanani said. "Isn't it a little treacherous out there to come all this way to pay a visit?"

"The boy would've been stranded out there if I hadn't caught sight of him first," Unrak spoke. "Thankfully, firebenders are a hardy stock. They've got that fire to keep them warm in weather like this."

The ex-bender and the Avatar's attention were drawn to the entryway at the mention of a _firebender_. They noticed, standing beside Kanani's broad shouldered husband, one particularly familiar young firebender.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Mako spoke to the ex-bender's mother.

"No—I was just preparing dinner," Kanani told him. "If you haven't eaten you are more than welcome to join us. There's plenty to go around."

"I'd be grateful to try your cooking," Mako replied. "After walking a good long while out there in that chilling wind, I could use something to eat to heat me up."

"Tahno's by the fire if you want to join him until dinner's ready," Kanani informed him, looking towards the ex-bender with a pleasant smile. "I'm sure he's happy to see you."

"I think I'll do that," Mako replied. "Thanks for the hospitality."

"Any time," Kanani smiled warmly before returning to her previous work at the chopping board. Meanwhile, the firebender made his way towards the fire while Unrak headed back out into the storm.

"Mako," Tahno heard Korra utter. He ignored her, only paying attention to the firebender as he made his way over to the fireside. The firebender sat down beside the ex-bender.

"Settling in after your long journey?" Mako asked the ex-bender. Tahno nodded. "That's good. Is Korra present?"

"She's sitting opposite you beside me," Tahno replied.

"Good, good," Mako nodded. "So, um—Korra? How're you doing?"

"Okay under the circumstances," Korra replied.

"Fine for the moment," Tahno reinterpreted.

"Korra—" Mako's eyes wandered around a bit, not certain where to look. He settled on the ex-bender beside him. "I wanted you to know we found Naga, and…she's being looked after, so—you don't have to worry about her."

"Thank the spirits," Korra replied, relieved.

"Uh, Tahno—could we take this into the next room?" Mako asked the ex-bender. Tahno stared at him oddly, hesitantly nodding. The ex-bender got to his feet and led the way. The other two followed.

"So—why'd we need to come in here?" Tahno questioned when they had a wall between them and Kanani.

"I thought it might be better to do this privately," Mako told him, closing the door behind them. "Um…while you were off in the Spirit World trying to retrieve Korra—we…Bolin, Asami and me—had an encounter with a spirit. The Spirit that _supposedly _was the one that attacked the festival Korra and I attended for her birthday."

"That Spirit couldn't bother to show his ugly face and confront me—but he could bother to bug you three?" Korra exclaimed in alarm. Tahno expressed the alarm the young Avatar was exuding vocally.

"You talking about the one that lured Korra to the Spirit World in the first place?" Tahno exclaimed.

"No—that one turned out to be an imposter," Mako clarified. "The original Dark Spirit that roams these parts was kept up in his cave when his impersonator showed up. He just recently learned about the imposter, and confronted us about a few other things too."

"Like what?" Both Tahno and Korra questioned in unison.

"He's the one who brought Naga back, and informed us about Korra's body being abducted," Mako replied. A little hesitantly, he added. "Another spirit informed him about Hiroshi's plans—how he's involved in all this. The one who told him everything…Tahno—you're not going to like who it was."

Tahno gulped, a pit in his stomach forming as dread set in at the growing sense of acknowledging whom the firebender meant. "I get the very real feeling I won't."

"I know how much his presence disturbs you, but—if it weren't for him…" Mako paused a moment. "…The council would've most likely accused you of leading them on about Korra's abduction. Which would've ended up endangering Korra, and…it could've spelled disaster for you."

"Who's Mako talking about?" Korra looked at the ex-bender quizzically.

"He's referring to me." Both Korra and Tahno turned abruptly in alarm to face the culprit.

The culprit stood in the farthest corner of the room, on the fringes where the light met with the depths of the shadows, the man's presence shifting between tangibility and fading into the intangible. Recognizing the figure, the young Avatar gasped in shock while the ex-bender blanched.

"Tahno—what's up? You just went pale—er all of a sudden," Mako grabbed the ex-bender's attention.

"_He _just showed up," Tahno informed him, shaken.

"_Amon?_" Korra's shock revealed a good amount of the whites of her eyes as they widened. "What are _you_ doing here? How'd you even_ get here?"_

"In much the same way you did, young Avatar," Noatak—Amon, responded. "I'm here in spirit."

"You're—dead?" Korra gaped.

"Tarrlok made certain of it when he blew our escape vessel to smithereens," Noatak informed her.

"I guess that means the ex-Councilman's dead too," Korra noted.

"Been there—dealt with him too," Tahno stated while nervously eying the product of some of his worse nightmares.

"I need to have a serious discussion with the two of you, but the firebender needs to leave the room first," Noatak stated.

"Why does Mako need to leave?" Korra questioned him.

"His presence interferes with my ability to be present," Noatak told her.

"Why?"

"The chi energy coming off the living interferes with the _tangible_ presence of the deceased," Noatak replied. "The reason it doesn't affect you, young Avatar, is because you are still alive—albeit separated from your body, and because the former waterbender here is able to see the deceased—his presence isn't a problem."

"Maybe Mako should stick around—and _you_ should be the one to leave!" Tahno snipped at the former Equalist leader's spirit.

"Did Amon ask me to leave the room?" Mako spoke up.

"Yeah, he did, but you—" Tahno was interrupted midsentence by the firebender. Mako rested a reassuring hand on the ex-bender's shoulder, smile on his face.

"You need to hear him out, Tahno," Mako told him. "As much as you don't like it—there's some info that he knows that you—and Korra—need to hear him out on." He reached for the door. "I'll be right in the next room if you need me for anything." The ex-bender felt a blanket of chill settle in the room upon the firebender's departure. It caused him to involuntarily shudder. Meanwhile, _Amon_ emerged from his space in the shadows towards the center of the room.

"So—what's this all about?" Korra asked.

"Whatever you've got to say, Amon—say it fast," Tahno remarked. "I'll listen—but that doesn't mean I want you hanging around any longer than you need to."

"I'll make this as brief as possible," Noatak replied. "First—I want you to assure me you'll fill the firebender in on all of this later."

"I will—just get on with it," Tahno snipped.

"I'm sure both of you are wondering why I'd even bother investing an interest in putting a stop to Hiroshi Sato's plans," Noatak began, pacing the room a bit. He looked from the ex-bender to the Avatar, continuing when neither bothered to respond. "Even though removing bending from the world was a part of my original agenda during my campaign—what Hiroshi's planning to do will have devastating consequences that I simply can't condone. I—and Tarrlok as well—also have a very…personal reason as to why we've chosen to help put a stop to Sato's plans; you see, Hiroshi has called upon the aide of several other spirits who have been spited by benders, or specifically the Avatar—past or present. Included in that group is our father—Yakone."

"Yakone—as in the crime lord that tried to gain control of Republic City during Aang's time?" Korra asked quizzically.

"One in the same," Noatak replied. "Also, something else you need to know—this group of spirits that Hiroshi's called to his aide are capable of possessing the bodies of the living and taking complete control of them. It allows Sato's cohorts the ability to move around and collect information in plain sight. Something that gives them away is a particular glint in the eyes of their possessed victims."

"I'll keep an eye out for people with unusual stares from now on," Tahno replied only half seriously. _Amon _looked at him sternly, but didn't speak up about it.

"What do you know about the imposter Spirit that bothered to lure me to the Spirit World?" Korra inquired. "What role does that ugly creature play in all this?"

"I know that Spirit is working with Sato, but I don't know the Spirit's actual identity," Noatak replied. "Tarrlok's back in Republic City seeing if he can find out the answer to that—amongst Sato's plans that haven't been figured out yet."

"Was that all you needed to tell us—or was there more?" Tahno spoke up irritably.

"Two more things," _Amon _stated. "One—you shouldn't have any more doubts regarding what I'm telling you; both Tarrlok and I have been working under the instruction of the Moon Spirit to collect information on Sato's actions and work on putting a stop to them. Two—you should also know that your _boyfriend_, Ming, has been involved in this from the beginning as well."

"_Ming's_ been involved in this the whole time?" Tahno exclaimed, wide-eyed. "_After _he committed suicide, or—"

"That's something you will have to discuss with him when you return to Republic City," Noatak interrupted him. "I will leave you two to recuperate from your travels for the time being, but there is something the Moon Spirit wants me to inform you about. Not now though—you both need your rest." With that, the chill in the air dissipated, and _Amon's_ apparition vanished. A moment later there was a knock at the door.

"Hey—your mom told me to tell you dinner's ready!" They both heard Mako shout through the door. The door parted, the firebender hesitantly looking inwards through a wide crack. "Are things going okay in here?"

"Yeah—the discussion just wrapped up," Tahno replied.

"Any new info?" Mako asked.

"Yeah—I'll fill you in over dinner," Tahno replied.

"Works for me." The ex-bender heard Mako's footsteps moving away from the entryway. Tahno reached for the door separating him from the main expanse where his mother was, pushed it open wide enough for him to pass through, and then made his way over to the fireside to warm his hands. A few moments later he heard Mako join him. Neither spoke as they sat there, watching the dancing firelight.

The entry door thumped open, a gush of snow and whistling gales entering, uninvited, along with the individual who originally opened the door. Unrak pressed his back hard against the wooden door, shutting it with some force. Once the door was latched, he shed his boots and walked towards where Kanani was. All the while the trio—Korra included—watched the broad-shouldered water tribesman cross the room. Unrak kept his face obscured by his coat's hood as he approached the paler waterbending woman's side. His still mittened hand raveled itself around Kanani's waist, gently pulling the woman closer to his side. Kanani released a startled gasp at the maneuver.

"Well, boys—it looks like it's rough going out there," Unrak stated. "Probably would be best if the young firebending lad stayed for the evening. It's treacherous out there, and it doesn't look like it's gonna clear up till morning at least."

"I guess—if it's that bad out…I'll stay put," Mako replied. The ex-bender watched him from the corner of his eye. "Is that going to be okay?"

"Of course," Kanani separated herself from her broad-shouldered husband, stirring the pot planted over the flames. "It would be no problem at all. I'm sure…Tahno would appreciate having your company." She flashed a knowing smile, one that made the two young men look at one another awkwardly.

"If you need anything to wear for the time being, you can borrow a few of my things," Unrak went into the room next to the ex-bender's. Meanwhile, Kanani was getting the dishes and eating utensils ready for them.

"Please, feel free to serve yourselves as much as you like," Kanani handed the ex-bender and the firebender each a dish. "It's nothing formal, but there's plenty to go around."

"And it's delicious," Unrak called from the next room over.

Korra stood over the pot, examining the contents inside. "Looks like something my mother would make me growing up. Wish I could smell and taste it—it looks good." She looked up at the ex-bender then. He showed his acknowledgement with a quick nod.

While the two young men dug the contents of the pot out and put it on their dishes, Korra parked herself by a nearby window to observe the storm. The entire scene was one big white snow-blind—solid sheets of snow flurries and sleet mingling together blanking out the entire outdoor environment. The young Avatar sighed as she rested her back sideways against the windowsill and stared out at the whiteout.

XoXoX

Rock-hard Ryo was a heavily muscular earthbending member of one of the newly established and ranking upward Triads—that is, until someone ratted out he and his fellow gangsters and they all ended up being incarcerated.

Behind bars—that was where Rock-hard Ryo was now, one amongst the many other triad gangster arraignments in the recent influx of successful arrests made against members of various Triads in the city. Ryo couldn't wrap his mind around how the police force had gotten so fortunate in making so many arrests—and his own people had unfortunately got the short end of the stick. Many of his fellow triad inmates shared the same lack of understanding; Ryo heard countless murmurs of confusion amongst his rivals and compatriots alike.

Lunch had just come to a conclusion, and many around Ryo were tense and twitchy. The levels of angst and frustration couldn't have been thicker then they were in that prison base where Ryo and his fellows were. But that was about to be interrupted with a wave of intense apprehension—and a strange array of garbed individuals taking over the premises.

At first Ryo only heard the guards shouting somewhere out of his peripheral range, and then sounds of a couple skirmishes. Lights flickered overhead, the eyes of all the inmates—including Ryo—shooting upward in alarm.

And then, the conflict came directly to them. A guard was knocked through the doorway leading between the guards' station and the main housing space for the inmates, falling into an unconscious heap at the feet of a couple of inmates. A doorway that once had a security door locked in place to keep the prisoners from escaping now stood as a gaping hole to freedom. But none of the prisoners made a bid for their freedom. Too frozen in surprise were most to even react—including Ryo.

In the next instant the doorway was occupied with the presence of one intimidating individual—the man who had played second in command to Amon during his previous occupation before his campaign crumbled. The man many had come to believe had been incapacitated sometime during Amon's last stitch efforts to flee the scene before an arrest could be made; the man simply known by the title _The Lieutenant_—a man with good physical prowess, bender or not. Beside him stood a gathering of his companions, garbed in similar gear to he. On his back was a battery pack, the source charging his handheld kali sticks.

"Secure the premises, make sure none of the inmates are able to retaliate—knock anyone who does out if you have to," The Lieutenant instructed one of his companions. The man took his instructions, signaling to a few of his cohorts to move out while the one in charge stayed in place.

The Lieutenant eyed the frozen gathering of prisoners with a cold, glazed stare. "Confined like so many vermin caught in a trap," he addressed them in a harsh tone. "At least the police force was able to help us out with something."

His companion he'd given orders to a few moments before came back to his side. "We've got the place secured. All accounted for guards have been knocked unconscious; the benders in the bunch tied up and locked away for the time being. The prison is now under our control."

The Lieutenant smirked. "Just like Hiroshi wanted."

All the while Rock-hard Ryo and his fellow Triad gangsters stood there, confused and a little frightened. There wasn't much any of them could do in their confined state, as the prison was a bender-proofed facility—something that played towards the advantage of the Equalist forces that had just taken it over, and a disadvantage for the bending prisoners being housed there.

"I'm going to oversee what other city citizens need to be added to the triad menagerie being housed here, so I want you and the others to get the prisoners gathered up. It's time to set Hiroshi's plan in motion—a chance for him to put his new _divine gift_ to good use." As the Lieutenant gave the order, his eyes were staring hard at his newly attained captives, glossed over eyes manifesting hatred from within. "Time for the great_ cleanse _to begin."

Something about the Lieutenant's words and demeanor unnerved Ryo and his companions beyond comprehension, but before any of them could retaliate, the place broke out in chaos and Ryo was knocked unconscious.

XoXoX

Kami managed to make it to her mother's friend's place without incident, knocking on the door a little bit more desperately than she initially intended. He came to the door quickly, showing her in without a second thought.

"You should probably get back home quickly," her mother's friend told her after he handed her a knapsack filled with supplies. "Things are looking a little rough out there, and I'm sure your mother would be happier if you were home before they get worse."

As she was departing, she turned and waved at her mother's friend. He waved back, closing the door behind him as she turned to make the trek home. Kami, along the way, looked to what was visible of the sky above, taking that nightfall was setting in. Street lamps were slowly flickering on, one after another, lighting the way down the boulevard.

On her way, Kami noticed that things around her were getting tenser. As the streetlights flickered on one at a time—she recalled passersby acting edgy as she walked by them. The people who happened to be out were glancing around nervously, as if expecting something to go wrong at any moment. That rose apprehension in Kami's gut, and she couldn't help feeling the same herself.

And then—hell broke loose, or something very similar. People were scrambling every which way like scattering prey trying to escape from a predator intent on the hunt. Yelling, screaming—Kami couldn't determine what for at first. Not until she saw the mecha coming her way.

Also, the streets were flooded with an opposing force—a _battalion_ of individuals garbed in similar uniforms to those of the Equalists during Amon's occupation of the city. They were working on chasing people indoors or taking a few significant individuals in particular hostage, dragging them off while others ran. Everything around her rose to chaotic proportions, and Kami didn't know which way to go—or what to do.

At last, her mind chose to have her bolt. Her feet carried her quickly down the sidewalk, grabbing for some grip on the pavement as she readied herself for a turn at an intersection leading home. In the process, she ran right into somebody, the impact causing her to tumble towards the pavement.

Kami was frightened when she looked up at her run-in _victim,_ frozen in place as she stared at him, wide-eyed. Staring back at her were cold, blank eyes, housed on a face that was somehow familiar. The man was garbed in Equalist attire, but there was something about him that she recognized. And then she realized what it was. The shape of his face, those pale blue eyes, the delicate mustache decorating the decently handsome features right above his lips—he was that man she discovered nearly unconscious several months back.

The man she'd rescued in the warehouse near the probending arena the day Amon's campaign fell apart. The man she'd found unconscious underneath a scattering of boards, left there in a broken shambles to die, or so she believed. The man she'd rescued with her ability to heal with her waterbending—and the very same man who departed from the hospital some months later without leaving a message or thanks.

This man now stood there, dressed as her opponent, and that added realization sent a chill through her. Would he chase her home like many of his comrades were doing with most of the others, or would he take her captive?

As she dealt with the onslaught of conflicting thoughts running through her mind, Kami remained frozen in place, staring straight at the man she'd dared to rescue some time back—wondering if the effort had been a smart one, or a choice she'd later come to regret. The shockwave of emotions from this encounter combined with the disorientation she received from her tumble to the pavement made Kami's head swim, the world swirling around her until she slumped right there—becoming an easy target for this unfortunate foe—

XoXoX

The power outages had been one thing, but this—this was something Ishio wasn't exactly prepared for.

It had been about the turn of noon when Hiroshi Sato made his proclamation to the whole metropolis. How he accomplished that feat without an extensive network of speakers or wide-range broadcasting over the radio, Ishio didn't know. He only knew the public announcement had stirred up the entire city, and the police force had to put in every effort they were able to keep the citizens of Republic City calm.

Or, at least—calm enough _not_ to break out in mass panic.

That had been a major chore for Ishio and his comrades. Up until the light hours of day ran out they were hustling about assuring the city's residents that everything would be _okay_. Amon's takeover had given the people a sense of trepidation they had not tasted before—trepidation that was rising amongst the masses yet again like wildfire and was becoming difficult to extinguish.

Activity at the prison was still coming back as unusual and alarming, but Ishio wasn't exactly concerned about that right now—didn't have time to be concerned about it. His mind was focused on getting the citizens calmed down first, and then worrying about the prison later. By nightfall Ishio believed—as did the rest of the police force and the city's officials—that the city was calmed down again and things were back to normal.

That is—until _their_ arrival. Ishio had been at headquarters when he received the news. As soon as the sun departed from the sky and evening city lights took over in it's stead, _they _emerged from whatever hidden depths they'd been hidden at until now.

_They—_referring to a long line of high-tech mecha that all of sudden surrounded the outlines of the city itself; according to his informant, they had cropped up out of nowhere—as if they had emerged from the ground itself like reanimated mechanical corpses.

Not long afterwards the city streets were filled with voices rising in screams and shouts made in panic and the sounds indicating a hostile takeover. It was at this point that Ishio managed to gather up as many officers and civilians as he was able to and took to the depths of the city's underground.

XoXoX

The hour was late, the storm in full force. Bumi stood by the railing at the bow of the ship, contemplating through his thoughts. Most of his crew was either taking shelter indoors or doing their jobs, taking their positions maneuvering the ship through the storm. The Commander was alone, watching the skies for the arrival of something.

Usually, Bumi wouldn't put his crew at risk during treacherous weather like this, but right now—he had to risk it. Before the storm hit and communication with Republic City was cut, he received word from his younger brother that there was trouble back in the city.

_"Commander, a report just came in from Republic City that's urgent. Your brother wishes to speak to you."_

_"What's going on in Republic City? What's Tenzin got to say?"_

_"He believes they've discovered the source of the power outages, and the situation's grown quite serious. Hurry—I'm not sure how much longer the connection's going to hold up. With the outages ongoing in the city…the connection could be lost easily, and we might not get it back for some time."_

_"Lead the way then," Bumi told his communications officer, following him into the radio station aboard the ship shortly afterwards. The connection was handed over to him as he stepped inside._

_"What's going on back there, Tenzin?"_

_"City's under attack—and Hiroshi's responsible," Tenzin's voice carried through the crackling connection, static making his voice sound echoic, but Bumi knew well it was his brother._

_"Do you want me to come back there and help out?"_

_"No—it's better if you keep away from the city for the time being. After what happened with General Iroh's battalion during Amon's occupation, it's best not to storm the city with our ships until we can be certain the waters are clear of booby traps. While Hiroshi's been in hiding, we can't be certain he hasn't been laying traps all around Yue Bay and the city. Considering he was the mastermind behind the underwater mines last time—it's best that we don't take any chances." While Tenzin was speaking, General Iroh and Lin Beifong entered the radio operations station. Bumi watched them as they took up spots nearby, their eyes on him. "Also, I haven't seen it myself, but—there have been reports of Spirit activity out there. Until we're certain of what spirit we're dealing with and what it wants, it safe to say it's better to keep you crew away until we understand what going on better."_

_"What are you planning to do there, Tenzin?" Bumi asked him. Under normal circumstances his voice would have been humored, teasing even, but these were not normal circumstances._

_"As soon as I'm able—I'm planning on taking my family somewhere where it's safe," Bumi barely caught Tenzin's voice above the static; the connection between them was getting worse. "I was hoping you could meet us somewhere partway. Have Pema and the children stay with mother for the time being, while I speak with The Order about what's going on here."_

_"I'll inform my crew to prepare to move out to sea, and try to meet you about a fourth of the way between here and there. It'll be dark out, so watch for a beacon."_

_"I will."_

_"There's a storm in progress up here right now, so Ten—be careful." _

_ "I told you never to call me Ten," Bumi could just catch the irritation in Tenzin's voice. Bumi felt a smile faintly twist up the corner of his lips. It was momentary; Tenzin continued in a crackled, serious tone. "Look, Bumi—I need you to inform the officials there that Korra's—" _

The connection had cut off at that point. All Bumi recalled hearing from that point on was dead static. He remembered Lin's voice in the background asking him about what was going on, and how he was caught in thought trying to make sense of his brother's last message before it broke off.

_"Prepare to ship out from port. We're meeting up with my brother and his family, and—if we're going to make decent time in this storm—we're going to need to set out as soon as possible." Bumi turned to inform his other officers. To his old **family friend**, "Trouble in Republic City, Lin—and Tenzin is bringing his family here for safekeeping."_

Lin approached him now, strands of her hair crystallized together by an accumulation of snowflakes. She leaned against the railing right beside him, not saying a word to the Commander.

"Have you received anything more from Tenzin?" Lin finally spoke, eyes looking out into the distant flurries.

"No, Lin—not a thing. I'm certain he's well on his way here with his family," Bumi did turn to look at the metalbender.

"Any other news from Republic City?" Lin looked at him.

"Tenzin's connection was the last I received," Bumi replied.

"I shouldn't have come on this trip," Lin stated, embittered. "I should be there for my officers."

"I'm sure they can handle themselves," Bumi grinned. "I mean—I'm sure they've absorbed some of that rock-hard personality of yours from working under you for so long."

"Funny," Lin remarked. "How long do you think it'll take Tenzin to get here?"

"Not long." Bumi replied. He looked up to the sky, wondering that very same question himself.

XoXoX

On their way home, Shaozu and his girlfriend, Mei Lin, witnessed things around them go from bad to worse.

What should have been a half hour walk at most turned into a multiple hour trip. Sidewalks were congested with crowds of citizens gathering there in confusion; groups of people standing there, not comprehending what was going on—or, if they did—feeling too apprehensive to calmly return to their dwellings like the police force was advising. Satomobiles formed a line up in never-ending traffic congestion, blocking off movement in the streets. Shaozu and his girlfriend had to maneuver through those crowds and across overwhelmingly busy streets along the way.

In the end they gave up and headed back towards the restaurant, grabbing something to eat while the crowds outside died down. The owner, a family friend of Shaozu's, led them to a table where they could be comfortable for a few hours until things blew over. They enjoyed a delicious Fire Nation cuisine dinner, staying a little longer after they finished to chat before heading out again.

Outside fewer people were roaming the streets than earlier as the two finally made their way back to the apartment. At first it appeared the trip was going to be a casual experience—until everything erupted in chaos.

The former firebender held Mei Lin's hand clasped tightly in his as they ran from the approach of massive mecha that suddenly flooded the streets, along with the Equalist garbed flood that followed suit. The two heard shouts and screaming as they took cover in an alleyway. Shaozu held Mei Lin close to him as they heard the commotion in the streets.

"We should try and run for cover, if we can't get back to the apartment," Shaozu whispered in his girlfriend's ear. She was shivering, as was he. Mei Lin looked up at him, dark green eyes shimmering as she nodded.

In an instant they were on the run again, making for their apartment more than anywhere else. Somewhere along the way the two were forcibly separated, knocked apart by the force of a collision with the opposition. Shaozu went to reach for Mei Lin's hand, but one _Equalist_ pushed him off to the side while another grabbed Mei Lin, dragging her off while she screamed her boyfriend's name. By the time Shaozu recovered his footing, she was long out of sight.

Shaozu ran for it, searching everywhere for his girlfriend in a frantic frenzy. Everywhere he searched, there was no sign of her. He felt like he might lose his mind the longer he went without discovering Mei Lin's whereabouts. Citizens of the city and the uprising of the opposition moved about hysterically all around him, making it hard for Shaozu to maneuver and _not_ run into somebody. In his attempt to avoid a run-in with a couple running the opposite direction from he, he inevitably ran into somebody else. While he tried to gather stability in his legs as he once again got back up on them, he looked up at the individual he'd run into. He froze like a scared prey animal, coming face to face with one of the opposition.

The _Equalist_ man had an unconscious girl in his arms, something eerie flashing in his goggles' hidden pale blue eyes. Shaozu backed up some, expecting his fate to be similar to that unconscious girl's, when the man made a move to hand the girl to him.

"Take her and run," The man's voice was rough and conflicted. "She once did me a solid, so I'm returning the favor."

Shaozu stared at the man, scared and confused. He was frozen in place, not able to respond.

"Take her before I have a change of heart!" the man demanded, holding the girl out further to him, his voice oddly desperate. "Take her and get out of here! Hurry!"

Shaozu finally broke from his frozen stance and complied with the man's demands. Without a second thought, he took the girl from the man and made a run for it. Somewhere along the way, in his mental state of fog, he ran into a police officer. The man, an earthbender who came from the upper ranks of the police force, told him he needed to follow him—and fast. Things in the city above ground were getting chaotic, and the only safe option was to take to the underground.

Shaozu only nodded in agreement, and followed the man under the depths of the city. A pair of gray eyes witnessed it all with great relief.

XoXoX

Evening wind whipped at Tenzin's robes as he held onto the reins attached to his skybison Oogi's horns. Behind him, huddled together on the saddle perched on the great airborne beast's back, were his children and wife, Pema. Jinora and Ikki clutched tightly onto their mother's side as she cradled her infant son, Rohan in her arms. Meelo clung to her partially on the side opposite his sisters.

Their faces were drawn with solemn, serious expressions. Tenzin had to rush them out of the city quickly to get them as far from danger as he possibly could. After Amon's takeover last time, the airbending master wasn't going to chance his family's safety by lingering near danger for too long.

As Oogi had drawn them away from the city, they all had noticed the lights of action and explosions taking place in the metropolis they called their home. Tenzin's father, in collaboration with his friends and newfound family, had taken the once sparsely populated Fire Nation colonies and brought Republic City into being the crown jewel of Yue Bay, and it tore at the airbender's heart to leave it behind in the midst of falling to shambles once more.

They managed to put several hours of travelling distance between them and the city. Oogi was flying high above the far-reaching seas, an ocean that connected up eventually with the frigid waters surrounding the Southern Water Tribe. That was their destination—a place Tenzin believed his young family would be safe for the time being, where most of the rest of his living family currently was posted.

Before their departure, Tenzin managed to reach his elder brother, reporting the goings on to the highly respected Commander. Bumi promised to take his vessel out to sea some distance off shore to meet up with them—keeping a watch on the sky for his baby brother's arrival.

Tenzin knew it would take them a night's worth of travelling to reach their destination if Oogi was pressed to his furthest extents—which the skybison was more than willing to do to aide in his master's escape. The airbending master couldn't make what time it currently was, but by looking towards the sky, he knew it was well past midnight, the approach of dawn probably a few mere hours away.

Air currents picked up strength as they flew further south, gusty gales bringing in sleet drifts and a sharp, arctic chill. Tenzin looked back on his family, their faces lit by the full moon's ivory light. He noticed his two middle children shivering. He knew that as they got further south that it would get colder, and that they hadn't had time to better prepare for the frigid chill once they arrived. He felt regret about that, but what could he do about it now?

"How are you doing back there Pema? Are you and Rohan warm enough? Should I make a quick stop?" Tenzin asked his wife with obvious worried intonations. Pema looked up from her bundled infant at him and smiled.

"We're fine back here. Just—keep your eyes ahead of you so we don't run into trouble while you're distracted with your worry over me and the children," Pema assured him, her deep evergreen orbs shining with profound inner strength and determination. The warmth of her smile warmed him internally, and seemed to have the same affect on their shivering children.

"My darling Pema," Tenzin murmured heartwarmingly as he turned his attention back towards the view lying ahead of him. Somewhere, not too far off in the distance, Tenzin caught sight of a beam of light against the fathomless shaded landscape. It was probably still miles ahead of them, that beam of illumination, but it gave the airbending master much needed determination to press forward towards it—certain it was a beacon provided him by his eldest sibling, Bumi.

XoXoX

Morning greeted him with loud rapping at the entryway door.

Resonating to the very depths of his eardrums, it stirred Tahno from his dreamless slumber rather abruptly. Grumbling first, he shifted into a sitting position, observing his surroundings as coherency set in. The room was still—quiet. It appeared that the firebender was already up and about; the sheets where he slept were rumpled and empty of his presence. Korra was out of sight as well. Gathering his wits, the ex-bender rolled out from under the sheets and got up, his feet taking him towards the door.

"They came in just this morning," A voice emerged from an open crack in the front entryway. Holding the door open, Mako stood there, listening to whoever was on the other side. "I was told to summon you both once the storm let up enough."

"What's going on?" Tahno's voice caught Mako's attention. The firebender turned away from the parted entryway towards the approaching ex-bender.

"Tenzin and his family got in early this morning," Mako told him.

"What are they doing here?" Tahno questioned, stepping up to the door to address the messenger. The man on the other side of the door was Kohan, one of his White Lotus traveling companions during their trip to retrieve Korra.

"Republic City's under attack," Kohan answered. "Tenzin told me to grab you boys so he could discuss that with you, your brother and Miss Sato, as well as his plans to tackle the trouble stirring up in the city."

"Give us a few to get ready," Mako replied.

"Can do," Kohan said. The firebender headed in while the ex-bender stayed put.

"What's creating the chaos back home?" Tahno inquired, leaning against the doorframe.

"From what Tenzin stated—looks like Sato's finally come out of hiding," Kohan replied. "Tenzin made it sound pretty urgent—so you might want to go get ready yourself, Kiddo."

"Could you _not_ call me _kiddo?_" Tahno snapped irritably at the White Lotus waterbender. Kohan flinched minutely, grinning sheepishly.

"Yea—I forgot you don't like that," Kohan admitted. "Get going though—and make sure spirit Korra accompanies you." Kohan stated. "I'll wait out here while you two get ready."

Tahno didn't answer. Korra had been right beside the ex-bender by the door the whole time, listening in with her arms crossed over her chest. The former waterbender brushed past her as he headed in.

XoXoX

When Tahno and Mako showed up at the compound with Kohan, Bolin and Asami were already there. The group was gathered around Tenzin, his family and their skybison, Oogi in the training arena. Korra was also present, albeit unaccounted for by most present.

Tenzin started speaking once they were all gathered. "Using an army of mecha, along with some spiritual help and the aide of his Equalist loyalists, Hiroshi managed to get the whole of Republic City under his occupation. In our hasty departure I didn't witness the initial takeover, but we did receive a telegraph communication onboard my brother's ship from an unknown source in the city earlier this morning. The report stated that members of both the Council and the police force have either fled to the city's underground or been captured by Sato's people."

"My brother Bumi is working out some sort of plan with the United Forces and representatives from the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, and both Water Tribes with help from Lin and General Iroh. Meanwhile, while they're working the details of that out, we're going to handle the situation from a different angle." He looked from the two brothers to Asami and then lastly the former waterbender. "The reason I called you four in is because we have a situation involving Korra. In a few days time, Hiroshi intends to put on some kind of demonstration involving her, and—from knowledge of the previous Equalist takeover—I want the four of you to go undercover, figure out where Hiroshi's holding Korra, and then get her out before Sato can use her for his purposes."

"You three were instrumental during the Equalists' campaign defeat, and your skills and experience will certainly come in handy," Tenzin told the two brothers and Asami. He then turned his sights on Tahno, speaking directly to him. "Your ability to see and communicate with the spirits will be useful in gaining info about Hiroshi's resources. You're also our only link to Korra's spirit form, the only one who is able to communicate with and guide her until we can recover her body. Plus, Asami's training sessions should come in handy for you as well."

"We'll be heading out first thing tomorrow morning, and Oogi will provide our transportation. I want the four of you to rest up, and be ready first thing. We don't have any time to waste, and we can't allow Hiroshi the opportunity to put on his demonstration with Korra." Tenzin stopped, suddenly looking exhausted and mentally strained. "Do the four of you have any questions or anything to add?"

"Not about the mission, but—" Before Mako could say more; a voice and the sound of footsteps rushing their direction interrupted him.

"Tenzin, I just heard you and the family got in from Bumi!" Kya ran across the training arena grounds, taking her youngest brother in a rushed embrace. "What's going on? What was urgent enough to bring you here?"

"Kya, could you let me go first? You're cutting off circulation," Tenzin gasped in his sister's excruciatingly tight grip. She released him and gave her brother his space.

"Sorry about that," Kya apologized. "But Tenzin—what _did_ bring you here? You usually only bring Pema and the kids here on holiday—or when its something urgent, and I'm pretty certain your visit here isn't vacation related."

"There's trouble in Republic City, Kya. I was just filling these four in on our return trip plans," Tenzin informed her. "I can inform you about everything you need to know once I've finished up my discussion with them. For the time being, could you help get Pema and the children comfortable? Bring them to mother's or something?"

"Yes, of course—I'd be happy to," Kya replied, displaying her trademark brilliant smile. "Meet me at mom's later when you're finished. We'll visit then."

"Thanks, Kya," Tenzin thanked her gratefully. Kya patted his shoulder in a sisterly manner before heading over to greet Pema and her nieces and nephews. Meanwhile, the airbending master brought his attention back to the four young adults in his company. "What were you going to say before we were interrupted?" He asked the firebender.

"Tahno's been receiving visits from a very particular _spiritual visitor_ lately, and I thought we should discuss what that _visitor's_ been telling him_—_and us," Mako replied. All eyes landed on the ex-bender.

"A certain ex-Equalist leader's been haunting me recently," Tahno stated. "He and his brother, the ex-Councilman, have been haunting me and telling me about Hiroshi's plans since the day the old bastard made his prison break."

"Amon and Tarrlok, I presume?" Tenzin inquired. The ex-bender nodded. "Before you two showed up, Bolin and Asami filled me in on the situation involving the imposter spirit and Amon's possession of Miss Sato, as well as the fact that you have been receiving visitations from Amon during your stay here in the Southern Water Tribe. Have you learned more info from _Amon's _spirit that I need to be made aware of?"

"Yeah—last night _Amon_ informed me of a few things that are probably worth mentioning to you and everyone else I guess," Tahno replied.

"Tell me what you've found out then," Tenzin told him. "First though—is Korra here with us?"

"You believe me then, that's she's present in spirit, I mean?" Tahno asked him. "I know a few of the Order's officials don't think that my word can be trusted because of a few things from my...um—well…my past."

"You have been correct about Hiroshi's plans so far, and thankfully for your case—we've got sources to back up your claim, so yes—I do believe you," Tenzin told him. "I know from my father's accounts that it's possible for the Avatar's spirit to become separated from their physical body, and Jinora has also grown to be quite fond of you, so I have to trust in her faith in you." He smiled nervously at that before adding, "So—is Korra here with us?"

"Yeah—she's been standing right beside Mako the whole time," Tahno replied, eyes momentarily glancing in Korra's direction. She returned the gaze, lips pursed and her hands resting casually on her hips. The ex-bender then looked back in the airbending master's direction and began relaying all the information he'd learned from Noatak the previous evening, as well as during any previous confrontation with the former Equalist leader's spirit—including the theory that Koh might be involved in Hiroshi's plot. In the end the only detail he left out was about how his spirit-seeing ability was slowly depleting him of his life energy.


	14. Chapter 14

By the time they wrapped up their meeting with the airbending master and were ready to settle in for the night, the four young adults were dead tired. Asami followed Kya back to her place for the evening while the remaining trio stopped by Korra's parents' place briefly. Korra's parents invited the three young men to dinner, and afterwards Mako headed out with Tahno back towards his mother's place, but not before wishing Bolin a good night before departing for the evening.

The trip was made in silence, the sounds of snow crunching underfoot the only sound occupying their senses. The two were both caught up in their own thoughts; Tahno barely acknowledged Korra trailing behind them. Finally, they reached Kanani's abode. Wordlessly, the ex-bender reached for the door handle and showed the firebender in. They noticed the place was quiet and dark once the former waterbender shut the door behind them.

"Huh—looks like my mother stepped out for a bit," Tahno stated as he headed over to a stack of logs located a few feet from the fireplace. He grabbed a few of them in his arms and looked up at the firebender, "Hey Mako—do you think you could get the fire roaring? It's freaking chilly in here, and I'd like to get the place warmed up." He noticed his words didn't have an effect on the firebender, who was staring at something he'd retrieved from a bench near the fire pit. Korra was looking over his shoulder, equally as absorbed in whatever was in Mako's hand.

Tahno brought the logs with him as he approached the firebender, curious to see what had his complete attention. "Hey Fireboy—what have you got there in your hand?"

"Huh? Oh…uh—it's a note your mother left for you," Mako finally acknowledged the ex-bender's presence once more, handing the piece of paper in his hand over to Tahno quickly.

"What does it say?" Tahno grabbed it from him after he arranged the logs in the pit, bringing it up so he could read it. It was clearly his mother's handwriting on the parchment, beautifully legible characters written out by her own hand in dark, heavy ink. He ran his eyes over each word carefully, taking them in slowly and completely, one at a time.

_**Tahno,**_

_**I know this is abrupt and unexpected, but Unrak just got word of a family emergency back at the Northern Water Tribe. His brother lives there, and he's taken ill. He requested that I go along, that he'll need me for the moral support. I apologize for not telling this to you personally, but there wasn't time. Unrak doesn't know how long his brother's got to live—if it's even that severe. The informant just told him it was urgent, and that's why I regrettably had to leave a note for you instead. **_

_**Hope you'll understand, and that we'll see one another soon.**_

_**Good luck in your upcoming adventures,**_

_**Love,**_

_**-Nani**_

"Interesting time for the hubby's brother to take ill," Tahno commented as he set the note aside and looked at the firebender. "Looks like we shouldn't expect them back any time tonight. So—how about we get that fire started so we can warm this place up?"

"Yeah—I'll get right on that," Mako knelt by the pit, rearranging the logs into a desirable arrangement before attempting to light them up. While he got to work on that, the ex-bender took a seat and watched him.

"Hey, pretty boy—do you find the timing for your mother's sudden departure at all odd?" Korra's voice broke the ex-waterbender's transfixion with the fire in progress. He snapped his attention her direction quickly.

"What? Why—does something about it seem odd to you?" Tahno asked her particularly. Korra gave him a questionable look in response, and then shrugged.

"Dunno, just thought I'd ask," Korra replied.

"Did you just say something Tahno?" Mako looked up from his fire prepping towards the ex-bender.

"Nah—I was just responding to a question Korra was asking. It's nothing big." The trio watched as the fire took on a life of its own, emanating much needed warmth. Tahno leaned his hands closer towards the flames, feeling the fire's much appreciated heat. Mako got up from where he was kneeling and joined the ex-bender by the fire.

They spent the next couple hours before bed making small talk and watching the flames dance and sway.

XoXoX

_Fire—bright, intense, and burning everywhere. The cityscape was awash in fiery ambers, tangerines, lemon, and scarlet. Multicolored tendrils lapped away at sides of mighty high-rising structures. High suspension bridges were consumed in furious infernos of the most intense azures and violets. The grand metropolis was ablaze with fires as bright and fiery as the likes of hell._

_Hell on earth—_

_Screams of agony, pain, and torture emanated from the burning city's depths. All of this was being observed from above—the observer suspended in midair. The city seemed a miniscule burning spec below—at least at first. As each moment passed, the observer was drawn closer to the city below, towards the bright, intense dancing flames._

_The flames reached out, ready to embrace the observer. They reached up and up, extending their fiery tendrils like a mother reaching for her cradle bound baby. But the flames were nothing near being inviting. Warm, yes—but their extending tendrils were warm in a way that no sane individual would care to be caught in the embrace of. _

_But, even still—the observer moved in closer towards them, if it was his will to or not. Their warmth he could feel, growing closer, closer— _

Something was shaking him. The violence of it shot the ex-bender up in an overwhelming sense of alarm. His mind still ensnared by those flames that wished to claim him, it took a moment for Tahno to break from the trance of his dream and wake up to true reality. The culprit of his shaking for example; at first believing it was the heavy trembling of his nerves getting the best of him—or the possibility of something else from within those flames taking grasp of him and attempting to drag him down towards the fires below—it took him some time to realize it was Korra doing it, that the young Avatar had been attempting to wake him.

When the trance finally was dispelled, the ex-bender looked at the Avatar with annoyance. "What'd you do that for?"

"You've got a visitor that insists on speaking with you," Korra informed him. "Said it's kinda urgent?"

"Amon again?" Tahno pushed his bedding aside. Korra shook her head.

"No—this one's more pleasant," she assured him. "The Moon Spirit sent me to wake you for her."

"The Moon Spirit?" Tahno stared at her quizzically as he got to his feet. Korra shrugged.

"Yeah—the Moon Spirit," Korra replied. "Better make it quick, pretty boy—the Moon Spirit was pretty insistent on speaking with you when she told me to wake you for her."

"Geez—let me get a chance to dress in something warm before I go out to see her—it's freaking cold out there, and my nightwear's not gonna suffice against the chill." As Tahno changed into something warmer, his eyes were on the slumbering firebender nearby.

Mako had decided to stay the night to keep the ex-bender company, and also to speak to his girlfriend's spirit form some more. It made things more difficult for Tahno to deal with—suppressing his conflicted emotions so that the young Avatar wouldn't pick up hints of his troubled feelings for her boyfriend, as well as having to play the _spiritual mediator_ between the two lovers. It took all he could muster to keep his feelings pushed down to the furthest extent possible.

He shrugged off his conflicted thoughts as he forced his gaze away from Mako's peaceful slumbering form, continuing to get dressed as quietly as possible so he didn't wake the firebender.

To his annoyance, Korra trailed behind him as he opened the door quietly and headed into the darkened expanse of civilized tundra. He looked all around, seeking out somewhere secluded where he could get in his conversation with Yue without any interruptions. It took some wandering, but he finally found the right spot.

Not long after he stopped walking did the Moon Spirit choose to join him. Korra stood nearby, watching as the ethereal Northern Water Tribe beauty descended from the highest reaches of the sky above to float a few inches above the slushy snow layer below. Quickly glancing her direction, Tahno noticed the look of awe on the young Avatar's face, the gleam of fascination in her midnight darkened ocean shallows as she continued to stare in Yue's direction.

"_Korra_ insists that you wanted to speak with me—and gave me a rude awakening to deliver the message," Tahno spoke as he looked at the ethereal Moon Princess. "So—what's this all about?"

"_It's about the information Noatak was originally going to eventually speak with you about,"_ Yue spoke in her ethereal intonation, soft and sweet to the ears. "_I believed it might be less stressful if I inform you about what Amon intended to tell you myself."_

"Thanks for doing that. That_ man's _presence was unnerving for me to say the least," Tahno told her gratefully. "So—what do you have to tell me?"

"_I need you to understand that it was upon my instructions that Noatak visited you in the first place. I want you to put any hesitance believing what he told you to rest and understand he spoke the truth."_ Yue spoke with heavy seriousness, her words holding a sense of gravity that the ex-bender couldn't ignore. He nodded in response, in agreement with her statement.

"So—what'd you need to tell him then?" Korra's voice startled the ex-bender, who had _almost_ forgotten her presence. Yue turned her attention towards the young Avatar then, whose hands were resting on her hips like so many times before.

"_The full extents of the limitations of his recently acquired spiritual abilities—as well as the linked effects he's been dealing with as well,"_ Yue responded, her eyes going from the Avatar towards the ex-bender once again. "_Have you noticed that—since you have been here—that your consciousness has been drawn towards the Spirit World on a few occasions while you slept?" _

Tahno nodded."Yeah—both Avatar Aang and Koh the Face Stealer have pulled me there while I was sleeping."

"_Have you ever wondered why that is?"_

"Now that you mention it—I kind of have," Tahno replied. "Did they summon me—or is there another explanation for it?"

"_Both probably did summon you to an extent, but it was your chi's draw towards the Spirit World that made it possible,"_ Yue informed him. _"You see, when your spiritual abilities abruptly took root, they created a link between you and the Spirit World. That link has unnaturally affected your life-energy—created the pull that is slowly depleting your chi; it is slowly pulling your chi closer to the Spirit World—and will continue to do so until your life-energy is permanently drawn into it._" Her eyes were glistening and her voice was somber, the ex-bender was now beginning to realize._ "If you don't get this corrected by the Summer Solstice by reversing the effects and having Avatar Korra here restore your bending, you won't last past midnight of that day. You will die—and permanently be drawn into the Spirit World."_

_You'll get out of this alive, you'll get your bending back—and you'll be happy. __That's what I've wanted for you all along man. I didn't go through all this just to see you lose it all in the end._ Again Ming's last words to him before his departure from Republic City resonated in Tahno's thoughts. Recalling what Noatak told him about his deceased boyfriend during their last confrontation, it brought some questions to mind—ones he wondered if Yue knew the answers to them or not. "How long has Ming been tied up in all of this—and _how _is he for that matter? Did he _really_ commit suicide because of someone threatening to hurt me if he didn't, or was there an entirely different reason that he didn't want to tell me about?"

"_Ming has been involved in this from the beginning—I believe even before he took his own life,"_ Yue told him. "_I don't know all the facts in his involvement—only what he himself has told me—but I do know he has been helping out at the insistence of another spirit. Whom that might be—I'm not privy to that knowledge, as he didn't tell me."_

"So, you're saying that—if I don't return pretty boy's bending to him before the end of the day on the Summer Solstice—he's seriously going to _die?_" Korra spoke up, voice filled with alarm. Yue gravely nodded. "And you, pretty boy—how long have you known that this spirit seeing thing is killing you?"

"I found out before I went to the Spirit World to get you outta there," Tahno replied.

Korra's brow crinkled up. "Have you told anybody else about this?"

"No—their worry would only get in the way of accomplishing our goal to get you out of Hiroshi's clutches," Tahno told her, adding, "And _that's_ why I'm not going to bother telling them, and I don't want you to go outta your way to try and tell them—do you get me, _Uhvatar_?"

Korra rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest in an air of frustration. "Yeah, I get you—pretty boy, but it doesn't mean I think it's a good idea."

"I don't care if it's a _good idea_—all that I care about is that it doesn't disrupt our plans," Tahno remarked. He focused again on the Moon Spirit, who had been floating there patiently, waiting for them to end their little _conversation._ "Anything else worth mentioning before I call it a night and head back in?"

"_As Noatak has informed you, both he and his brother, Tarrlok, have been collecting information on Hiroshi's activities for me. I want you understand the importance of keeping in contact with the two brothers—their knowledge on what is currently going on in Republic City involving Hiroshi and his spiritual helpers is vital to your cause, and could prove to be very useful in locating Korra's physical whereabouts." _Yue brought both of her semitransparent hands up to rest upon the ex-bender's shoulders, her expression grave. Her hands had some weight to them, the ex-bender realized, substance that he wasn't expecting. "_You only have a week to accomplish all of this, and if you can't set aside your issues with the man formerly known as Amon—it could cost you everything."_

"_Don't let everything negative that has happened to you as a result of his actions prevent you from heeding his advice—"_

Her words trailed into nothingness as the Moon Spirit instantly vanished from where she previously stood. Tahno could still feel the weight of her hands grasping onto his shoulders, of her last words to him before she departed. Thinking her abrupt departure was intentional; it was a shock to him when he heard the crunch of snow coming from somewhere unexpectedly close by. He expected it to be Mako—that, by some chance—he'd been awoken in the process of Tahno making his departure.

He, however, wasn't expecting whom it turned out to _really be._

"Hey—I wanted to talk to you about something before we head back to Republic City tomorrow." It was Mako's brother, Bolin, who stood there, not Mako himself. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and his usually jovial evergreen eyes were shaded with midnight shadows and seriousness. The expression in his eyes carried to the rest of his face.

"How did you know I was out here?" Tahno gave him the same expression in return, arms also crossing over his chest. "And what do you want?"

"I heard your voice while I was heading over here," Bolin replied. "And—I wanted to talk to you...about my brother."

Tahno had an awful, sudden sinking feeling. He tried to hide it by looking at the earthbender peculiarly. "Yeah? What about him?"

"Is there something…um—going on between the two of you—you and Mako I mean?" Bolin asked, still frowning.

"_Something_ going on between me and your brother—what_ exactly_ are you getting at with that?" Tahno questioned him particularly, that sinking feeling falling even further.

"You and your teammates are a hot topic at the Probending Arena, Tahno—so I know all about that thing about you being _queer_ or whatever," Bolin responded. "Look—I don't really care if dating guys is your thing, but—when it comes to my bro—"

"Are you _insinuating_ that I've got those kinds of feelings for your brother, and vice versa?" Tahno's voice pitched more so than he liked, control coming less and less to him.

"I overheard you confessing to Mako that you love him," Bolin stated, the words causing the ex-bender to freeze up, mouth agape in pure shock. "So please, be truthful with me—is there something going on between you and my bro or what?"

It took several moments for Tahno to manage to recover his shattered nerves. "Okay, okay—I did say that, and yes—I _do_ have a thing for your brother, but it's a one-sided thing. He helped me get through my own personal hell, and—I'm grateful for what he's done for me. So yeah—I fell in love with him, but it's unrequited and I understand that." He hoped that would be enough to answer the earthbender's questions, that he wouldn't press him further until he released that emotional can of worms that he knew very well he didn't want opened and released.

"Well...it's just—I've noticed that you two have been rather chummy lately, and it's had me wondering for a while about what's been going on," Bolin stated. "I mean—there's the beach incident, and then there are all those times you shared a room with my bro back at Air Temple Island—"

"Mako thought that something happened to Korra and camped out in my room, thinking she'd come to me eventually to report that she'd died or something. There wasn't anything _romantic_ about it," Tahno told him.

"How about that thing involving Mako's scarf—when he _borrowed_ it to you onboard Bumi's ship?" Bolin asked him.

"I was cold that day, so he offered it to me," Tahno replied. "He thought it might be a good idea for me to hang on to it until I got Korra out of the Spirit World so she'd know I wasn't a threat."

"What about the _beach incident_ then?" Bolin pressed. "I saw how Mako carried you up from the beach later that night, how concerned he's been for you since that day."

Tahno said nothing for several long moments. He found he couldn't. It was one thing to give answers for all those other occurrences, but the _beach incident_—

"What happened on the beach that day?" Bolin pressed, pronounced frown forming on his face. "Why has Mako been so tight-lipped about what happened?"

"One of my ex-rivals had me restrained in an alleyway, where he raped and practically beat the shit out of me before he left me for dead—and Mako was just trying to help me get through the ordeal, _okay?"_ Tahno blurted before he even knew what he was doing. His emotions got the best of him, and the words kept pouring out from his mouth in an uncontrollable tirade. "After Ming died, the ordeal hit me hard, and Mako was just trying to help me work through my suicidal tendencies because of it. If it wasn't for your brother doing that for me—I'd probably be dead by now!"

Bolin stared at him, speechless. He eventually managed to retrieve his voice. "Wow, dude—I didn't know." He scratched at his neck awkwardly. "I guess that explains why you've changed so much since the Amon incident. It also explains Mako's actions during the incident on the beach, and…I'm sorry to hear that happened to you."

"Promise me you'll _never _bring that up with me—or anyone else—ever again," Tahno insisted, dead serious. "Telling your brother was one thing; I _never _intended to ever tell_ anyone else_."

"Dude—Tahno, I mean—I get why you'd like to keep something like that private, and I promise I won't breathe a word about it to anyone else," Bolin told him sincerely, voice sympathetic.

"Any other _grueling_ questions you wish to subject me to?" Tahno asked the earthbender irritably. Bolin shook his head.

"Not grueling, but—I have to know…is Korra with us at this moment?" Bolin asked him. The ex-bender almost forgot the Avatar's presence, that sinking feeling reaching the lowest depth it possibly could.

She was very much still present; the ex-bender noticed that the young Avatar was staring at him with the deepest sympathies emanating in the depths of her midnight shaded ocean hued orbs. Her eyes glistened with dewy teardrops at their ducts, one lone stream staining her left cheek.

"Yeah," Tahno managed to utter. "She's here."

"I get why you were so perturbed with me when I forced you to kiss Mako the other day. It really_ was_ stupid for me to subject you to that—especially now that I know you have feelings for him," Korra said apologetically. "And me taking possession over you—spirits, if I'd only known that you'd been _raped_—"

"Korra—" Tahno's voice was emotionally strained. Korra didn't seem to notice, and continued.

"I mean—somebody held _you_ down and forced himself on _you_—and, to think that he almost killed you while he was doing that—and then here I come—taking complete control over _you_ and forcing_ you_ to do something against your will—"

"_Please_, Korra—_stop_," Tahno practically pleaded.

"Thinking about it, it makes me feel like_ I _wasn't being much better than—"

"When I said I didn't want to hear any more about it, Korra—_I meant it_!" Tahno practically screamed it at her. "Please—no more! The incident was a complete _nightmare_—and I don't need to be reminded of it all over again!"

All of a sudden his breathing became labored, each breath coming in fast and heavily. He could feel his heartbeat pounding at his temple, and his legs felt like jelly. The world swirled and vibrated around him. He brought his hands up to the sides of his head as he began panting heavily, struggling to intake enough oxygen to prevent his brain from suffering from asphyxiation. He sunk to his knees as vertigo struck in strong and swift.

"Tahno, you okay?" Bolin's worried voice sounded far off, like nothing more than an echo.

"Pretty boy?" Korra's sounded nearer, practically beside him. "Hey—Tahno? I'm sorry if I upset you. I didn't mean—"

It all seemed to be fading, fading to nothingness—and fast. Darkness reached out to grab hold of him, and he couldn't do anything to prevent it.

Bolin saw the ex-bender grow more and more distraught; pleading with an apparition that spoke in a voice the earthbender couldn't hear. Each time the former waterbender cried out Korra's name it became pleading, until his last plea sounded desperate—pained.

And then it was like the pain in his voice became physical. Bolin witnessed it with wide eyes as the ex-bender struggled with some unknown level of internal pain—expressively grimacing like the ex-bender was dealing with the onset of an excruciating migraine. Tahno's breathing then grew noticeably labored, each appearing to be harder to take in than the one before.

Bolin noticed with alarm that the ex-bender was growing paler as he stood there unsteadily on his two feet, looking like he was ready to collapse. And then he did—and the earthbender didn't know what to do. The next thing he knew he was rushing over to the ex-waterbender's slumped form, shaking his shoulders in a desperate attempt to revive him. But Tahno had slipped too far into his unconsciousness to be revived.

Bolin looked desperately around him, frowning. "Great place to pass out," He muttered with anxious sarcasm. _What should I do? _His thoughts were milling wildly in his head._ How far is his mother's place from here anyways? Where __**is **__his mother's place from here? Think—think!_

By some miracle, he managed to pick up the ex-bender's slumped form in his arms. It would take another miracle to get the former waterbender back towards sanctuary, which the earthbender prayed for constantly as he made his way blindly in the direction he thought was the right way.

XoXoX

Mako awoke to the sound of harsh pounding. It was loud, desperate. Once his mind escaped its grogginess, he realized it was somebody incessantly knocking at the front door.

"Tahno, are you—?" Mako looked to where he suspected the ex-bender was still asleep, only now realizing he wasn't there. Perplexed by his absence, the firebender headed towards the door, wondering who would come knocking at that odd hour of the night. From the window Mako could still see stretches of darkened grey-blue hills of ice underneath an inky sky.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Mako shouted as he approached the door.

"Mako—bro! We've got a situation! I need you to let me in right now!" Mako's feet carried him rapidly towards the entryway when he realized it was Bolin shouting from the other side.

"Bo, what's going on? What're you doing out this late?" Mako forced the door open, which took a little effort, as an ice layer had frozen the corner in place.

"He passed out on me while we were out talking." In Bolin's arms, Mako saw Tahno's unconscious form cradled there, his face unusually pale. The firebender was showing his brother in almost immediately.

"What happened?" Mako exclaimed as his brother got the former waterbender situated on his bed, pulling the covers up around him. Bolin looked up, expression grim.

"I went to confront him about something that's been bugging me for a while," Bolin stated, eyes on his brother. "I wanted him to tell me if there's been anything going on between you and him lately. He was out there conversing with the spirits I guess when I found him."

"Bo, please—just tell me what specifically happened to him that put him in this condition," Mako insisted anxiously. "What happened out there? What was going on before he collapsed?"

"I don't know what was going on with him exactly before he collapsed!" Bolin exclaimed at him. "He was shouting at Korra to stop saying something, and then something just…eventually got to him. He started breathing heavy, acting like he had a migraine coming on, went paler—and then collapsed. It was like the life was suddenly being sapped right out from him."

_Life suddenly being sapped right out—_"Shit," Mako swore, startling his brother.

"What?" Bolin cocked an eyebrow.

"His spirit seeing thing—Tahno once told me it's physically draining him, weakening his life energy or something like that," Mako told him. "I think his collapse has something to do with that."

"Huh? What do we do about it?" Bolin exclaimed in alarm.

"He needs an energy transference," Mako told him. Bolin stared at him blankly. "Tahno told me a quick fix was for somebody to transfer some of their life energy into him."

"Um…how do we go about doing that bro?" Bolin looked at him quizzically.

Mako knew how, but he wasn't about to divulge it to his brother. And he wasn't exactly going to attempt to do it himself with his brother present.

And who knew if Korra was present there as well—

"We need to get Kya and bring her here," Mako told him instead. "She might know what to do. She's a master waterbender and healer after all."

"I'll go and fetch her if you stay with him," Bolin volunteered, side glancing in the ex-bender's direction.

"Fine with me," Mako agreed. In an instant Bolin was making his way back towards the door. Before he turned the handle to make his exit, he turned to face his older brother.

"Bro, I know about Tahno's love confession," Bolin told him. "I overheard him say it to you the day you awoke after Hiroshi's goons knocked you unconscious. While I was chatting with him, he admitted that he said it. Also—it took a bit of pressing, but—he told me about the sexual assault you helped him deal with. How he fell for you because of all that you've done for him." Bolin smiled poignantly. "Mako—it's kind of odd that he developed feelings like that for you, but you did a good thing helping him get through that traumatic incident of his."

"D-did he say anything else?" Mako felt a knot forming in his throat.

"Yeah—he said it was all one-sided," sorrow flashed in Bolin's evergreen irises. "Which is kind of sad—considering all he's been through."

Mako felt relief as the knot in his throat started unraveling itself. "Go fetch Kya—or we won't be able to depart in the morning like Tenzin wants us to."

"I'll be back." Bolin closed the door quickly behind him. Mako slumped to the floor, releasing an anxious sigh as he looked in Tahno's direction.

XoXoX

It hadn't taken long to get Kya up and over to the ex-bender's mother's place to check in on his condition. At the elder waterbender's insistence, they brought Tahno over to her place, with her insisting it was probably smarter for the boys to stay the remainder of the night there—considering the ex-bender's current predicament and his mother's recent absence.

The trip over to Kya's place wasn't a long one, but to Mako—it seemed like it took forever. His mind was in a fog the entire trip, partially conflicted over the ex-bender's condition and his own weariness. After he informed Kya of his theory on what he believed was wrong with Tahno, Kya insisted he go get some rest.

"_Tomorrow's trip is going to be a long one, and you boys are going to need as much sleep as you can get."_

It wasn't long before Mako passed out underneath his makeshift bedding. Bolin slept somewhere nearby, obviously worn out from the ordeal himself. Mako's mind wasn't on his surroundings or Bolin's presence; he was drawn inwards towards slumber, caught up in the realm of dreams that often occupy that state.

_He was currently caught up in some random dream from his childhood, a pleasant memory that took place before his parents' murder. Right in the middle of it everything vanished, fading into dark blank space. He looked from one side to the next, up and down. But nothing remarkable stood out to him. He was trapped in some sort of black void._

"_Mako." Her voice echoed harmoniously across the bleak expanse. A voice that was familiar, one he missed hearing. "Mako." She repeated, and then appeared._

"_Korra." Mako could hardly believe she was standing there before him, the light of this bleak dark reality. Her arms hung loosely by her sides, ocean blue eyes captivated with his. Sorrow and longing emanated from their depths. _

"_I wasn't sure if this would work," Korra spoke, her voice once again rich and resonating. "I was hoping it would. I really need to tell you something."_

"_Is it really you—and not a dream?" Mako asked her. She smiled wistfully._

"_For you it's kind of a dream, but yeah—I'm really here," Korra replied. "It sucks that I have to resort to entering your dreams just to have you see me, but hopefully—I'll be back in my body soon so I won't have to keep doing this."_

"_One thing I need to ask you: was that really you that drove Tahno to kiss me when he got back from their journey?" Mako asked her. Korra smiled a bit guiltily, nodding sheepishly._

"_Yeah…I couldn't help myself when I saw you standing there," Korra admitted. "Speaking of pretty boy—there's something you need to know about his condition, and that ability of his."_

"_What?" Mako approached her, resting his hands on her shoulders. To his surprise, they felt unexpectedly substantial under his grip._

"_His condition isn't looking good," Korra told him seriously._

"_Kya assured me he would be okay," Mako informed her. Korra shook her head._

"_I'm not talking in the here and now," Korra replied. "Tahno, he…didn't want to tell you guys this, but…he only has one week left. That spirit seeing ability of his…if I don't reverse what Amon did to him before the end of the Summer Solstice…he—Mako...he will die."_

"_What?" Mako looked at her, dumbfounded._

"_The reason why he's weak, why he collapsed? That ability of his is draining him of his life energy—or whatever it was that the Moon Spirit told him it was called—chi or whatever," Korra informed him, her eyes keeping a hold on his gaze. "Mako—you gotta promise you'll keep an eye on him when you guys get back to the city to go looking for me. From what I overheard the Moon Spirit say to him, he's being drawn closer to the Spirit World with every passing day, and with only a week left—" She paused a moment, eyes now not meeting his. "—I know he was a prick during the Probending finals before Amon's attack, but he didn't deserve the shit he was put through after the fact, or this for that matter. An old ex-rival of his brutally violating him—geez, I can't help feeling shitty about possessing him just so that I could kiss you. To make matters worse—he has that one-sided thing for you…I feel like such an idiot."_

_Mako was glad they weren't making eye contact at that moment. He wasn't sure if she would have noticed it anyways, but he knew he felt a pit in his stomach over his guilt of not divulging the truth to her about that. That it wasn't really one-sided—that he actually cared about the ex-bender almost as much—if not as much—as he did her. He couldn't ever admit that to her, no matter how much it hurt to keep that all inside._

"_Hey—you're not an idiot, you didn't know," Mako tried reassuring her, while trying to do the same for himself. "And I promise I'll keep an eye on him for you." _

_Korra released a contented sigh before ensnaring him in an embrace. Her arms snaked around him while her head rested on his shoulder. "I can almost feel you in this state," she practically murmured. "Even though it's still not the same."_

"_It won't be long before we'll see each other again, and you'll have your body back from Hiroshi's grasp," Mako whispered in her ear. She breathed comfortably, the breath's release soothing._

"_I'll hold you to that," Korra pulled away, an ironic smile cast across her features as she finally looked at him again. With some insistence, she drew him towards her quickly, bringing her lips in contact with his. The connection was aggressive, greedy—hungry, and full of passion. She was clinging to the sensation of a prior memory, a shade from the past, but even so—it felt as real, as substantial, as it would have if she had already reclaimed her body and this was her trying to make up for lost time._

_Even though it seemed very real in that moment, it—like any other moment caught in a dream—faded away eventually into the backdrops of a mind caught in it's own natural mental stasis in the realm of slumber._

XoXoX

"Tahno, can you hear me?"

As he came to, he opened his eyes, the world swirling around him as he looked around. He rose from a lying position, shaking his head to achieve some mental clarity. Albeit the fact that he still felt a little disoriented afterward, it seemed to, for the most part, do the trick.

When Tahno got the chance to observe his surroundings, he noticed the setting was unfamiliar, and that he somehow had ended up somewhere indoors. Where that was…he didn't know, it wasn't familiar to him—as it certainly wasn't his mother's place.

Off to his side he spotted the source of the soft, feminine voice that ripped him from his slumber. It was the elder waterbender, kin of the previous Avatar and the airbending master, Kya. On her face was an expression of concern and relief. Her palms were entirely encompassed by a glowing flow of water; healing water, he acknowledged.

"What happened?" Tahno again looked around at his surroundings. "And where am I?"

"This is my humble abode," Kya informed him. She stored her healing water and freed up her hands again. "As for what happened—you passed out while you and Bolin were outside discussing something. He told me he carried you back to your mother's place before Mako insisted on seeking me out to help heal you. Mako informed me that your spiritual abilities are draining you, and that he believes that's the cause for your sudden collapse. Unless you can give me another reason for what happened—"

Tahno thought about that, his mind reaching the conclusion that that was the likely culprit—although it could be connected with stress from the night before's stressful confrontation. A possible panic attack from mental trauma he'd rather not bring up with Kya…although, as he thought it over more thoroughly—the anxiety might've just helped to further trigger it—"What Mako told you is probably what happened," he told her. "The ability's been having that effect on me. All the spirits I've talked to about it have confirmed it for me."

"If that's the case—I'll be talking to my brother in the morning about going with you guys back to Republic City," Kya told him. "If your ability is going to cause you to pass out without warning…I don't think Tenzin would like to take the chance of having you faint in the middle of a mission without having a way to revive you on the spot."

"Y-Yeah," Tahno stammered, looking at his hands. She patted his shoulder. He looked up at her weirdly.

"You should get some rest, build up your strength," Kya told him, smiling. "There are only a few hours before daylight, so get as much as you can." She got up from his bedside, passing through the doorway leading out of the small space. Meanwhile, Tahno lay back down, attempting to quiet his mind and get some shuteye.

XoXoX

They left almost immediately the following morning. Tenzin had Oogi's saddle stocked with supplies before the four young adults rolled out of bed and were getting their own last minute preparations done. Kya managed to talk her brother into letting her come along. After explaining the circumstances of what happened the previous evening to Tenzin, the airbending master had looked at the ex-bender gravely and gave the okay.

Before the group departed the Southern Water Tribe for Republic City, they all said their brief goodbyes to everyone they were leaving behind. Asami and the two brothers received warm hugs from Korra's parents while Jinora took the time to embrace the ex-bender and wish him luck. As the young airbender let him go and joined her mother's side, he noticed the hints of blush on the girl's cheeks. He smiled wickedly at her when her eyes met his, causing the young airbender to become even more flustered.

Thinking back on that moment—as the wind whipped at them from all angles and the sea below seemed to stretch in front of them for miles—Tahno wondered if he'd ever see the kid again. The reality of his mortality had really begun to sink in after the incident the night before. One week left, and his hours could be defined in exact numbers—his days, minutes—

As they travelled the miles over open waters, the trip seemed to Tahno to be stretching on forever. He didn't mind that though. If his time was running short with each passing minute, he was happy to have it pass by slowly for once.


	15. Chapter 15

After his brother and sister's departure from the South Pole earlier that morning, Commander Bumi had his officer manning the telegraph machine remain stationed there just in case further communication from within Republic City reached them. All had been pretty quiet since his siblings' departure with the four youths accompanying them, and the tension set Bumi's nerves on edge.

Lin had been lingering nearby wherever he went most of the afternoon, she and the young General Iroh. They anticipated news from the city as much as he—especially Bumi's old family friend, out of concern for her officers' whereabouts and their safety during the city's takeover. Bumi was just wondering how far away from the city his two siblings were with their _entourage_ when his telegraph operator grabbed his attention.

"Commander, sir—I just received communication from the city," the officer informed him when he had Bumi's full attention. The Commander nodded slightly.

"What'd they say?"

"A few things about current conditions in the city," the officer reported. "The communication is still active. Word was still filtering in before I came to alert you."

"Let's go check it out then," Bumi replied, thankful internally that he had chosen to install a telegraph device onboard in case emergency communications came in when no other form of communication was possible—especially after the last hostile city takeover—

Lin and Iroh followed closely behind as the telegraph operator led him towards the telegraph station. As the officer stated, the communication from the receiving end was active.

"What does it say?" Bumi asked as the officer looked over the feed.

"Sato's got the city under curfew, keeping the citizens homebound and not allowing them any free reign of the streets," The officer reported. "Some of his followers, as well as some of his reported mecha are patrolling the streets above, and he's got the air occupied with a few stolen airships from the city's police force. A small force consisting of some of Chief Beifong's officers, city officials, and civilians have currently taken to the underground, and have been keeping watch on Sato's activities whenever possible."

"Ask the recipient who it is that's responsible for sending out these messages," Bumi told him. The officer got to work sending out that message, receiving a reply a short time later.

"Ishio, sir."

"Tell Ishio to have his people keep a lookout for my brother Tenzin, My sister Kya, and that group of kids they've got with them," Bumi told him. "They should be arriving near the city shortly, and I'd feel better if my siblings had help from the inside."

"He'll keep a lookout," the officer responded. "He asked who else is accompanying Tenzin?"

"Tell him that one of his own, that young firebender, Mako, is amongst the bunch along with his brother, Miss Sato, and the former waterbender companion of theirs," Bumi told him.

"Could you ask my officer what the extent of his knowledge of Republic City's underground system is?" Lin spoke, announcing her presence. The telegraph operator looked at Bumi for some kind of signal, to which the Commander gave a quick nod.

"He says he's got an informant there with him that's very familiar with the city's underground network," the officer reported when a response came back. "He's the man operating the telegraph from their end. Says he's got an in-depth knowledge of it from years of exploring the system."

"Good," Lin said. "Ask him if he's aware of a stretch of the underground system that runs beyond the boundaries of the city closer to the mountains."

"He asks if you mean the old tunnel system that runs up into the mountains and connects with the modern underground system?" The officer asked her.

"Yes, that's the one," Lin responded. "Up until fairly recently neither me nor my officers—or the city officials for that matter—were aware of the tunnel system that runs through there. I only came across it by chance when my officers and I were seeking out any traces of Equalist encampments underground after Amon's campaign fell apart. It's well hidden, and it runs deep into the mountains and connects with the city's underground system somewhere along the way. It could be crucial to getting Tenzin and the kids into the city undetected."

"He responded with his reassurances that he'll post a few scouts out and about to keep an eye out for Tenzin's arrival," The telegraph operator reported. "Ishio also responds that he'll gather up a few resources that might help them with their mission when they arrive. A few of your officers, Chief Beifong, managed to create a tunnel leading up into the Sato Estate from below, near where the entry to the old workshop existed, and, so far—the estate appears to be vacant of Sato's presence."

"Tell him to keep watch over the Sato Estate—make sure it stays vacated. It could serve as an entry point or base until we can assess Hiroshi's plans further," Lin instructed the officer. He sent out her message immediately. It took a few moments before a response came back.

"He says he'll do that," the telegraph operator replied. "He asks if there's anything else you wish to tell him?"

"Yes—to keep safe, he and all the others under his care, as well as Tenzin, his sister, and those kids when they arrive," Lin replied.

"He says 'will do'," The officer replied. "Says he'll keep in touch if anything crops up. Right now he's going to keep a watch out for Tenzin and company."

"Alert me if there's an further reports," Bumi told him. "I'll be having a quick meal." He looked to Lin and Iroh. "Care to join me?"

"I certainly would," Iroh spoke for the first time.

"Might as well," Lin shrugged. Bumi smiled, giving his officer a few more instructions before leading his companions out with him.

XoXoX

It was well into the evening hours when the skybison-bound group finally reached the city. Tenzin steered Oogi away from the airspace near the city as they approached, knowing that they would easily be spotted if the skybison flew anywhere near it. Instead, he directed his air bound furry companion towards the skies about a mile out from the shoreline, flying a few miles until they reached the edge of civilization before heading inland towards the mountains.

Tenzin brought Oogi down when they reached the foothills some distance outside the city. He landed in a small clearing surrounded by a grove of trees. Once the skybison was securely grounded, Tenzin dismounted and got to work removing their provisions from the saddle, with some help from his company.

"We'll camp out here for the evening, and then look for a way into the city at dawn," Tenzin informed them as they set up camp. Kya helped Asami out with pitching a tent while the two brothers worked on one.

Tahno meanwhile wandered to the edge of their encampment, watching from the tree line the nocturnal movements of local fauna and flora. Outdoors, even after all the travelling he'd done in the past few weeks—Tahno felt completely out of his element. He was a city dweller, through and through—one more adapted to the urban lifestyle of civilization then one being surrounded by nature.

Sighing, he sunk down onto a nearby downed log, staring blankly into space. He almost jumped out of his skin when he felt something touch his shoulder out of the blue. He shot to his feet, looking around drastically to discover the culprit. His heart almost stopped and relief washed over him when his eyes met up with familiar gray orbs.

"Ming," Tahno uttered, voice overwhelmed with relief. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again." After his nerves settled and the tension and relief dissipated, he stared at his boyfriend's apparition critically. "Damn it—you could've approached me without trying to scare the shit out of me, you know."

"Seeing the shock factor in my arrival was worth scaring you shitless man," Ming replied.

"What are you doing out here?" Tahno questioned him. "You being out here seems too random for you. Also—how did you even know I was back?"

"That beauty up there in the sky informed me of you guys' arrival," Ming grinned, looking up at the moon. He quickly let the grin slip away, taking on a more serious air. "Underground operatives in the city are out watching for when you guys would come in. One of their scouts is nearby, but he doesn't know where to look—and it's not like I can tell him where to look."

"Underground operatives and scouts—damn it, Ming—what in hell do you mean by that?" Tahno gave the ex-earthbender a weird look.

"After Sato took over the city, a few people took to the underground system below the city. Some of Beifong's officers, a couple city officials—and a lot of normal civilians went into hiding in hopes of finding a way to escape the old businessman's wrath until they could concoct a plan to take the city back from him and his cohorts," Ming told him. "I've been watching over their activities the whole time, observing what they've been saying and doing. That Fire Ferrets firebender you've taken to—Mako—his boss is kinda running the operation, and he got news of you guys coming back in to town from a telegraph feed from the South Pole. Promised the receiver that they'd keep a look out for you. I decided to take it a step further and look for you myself."

"Where's this scout of theirs?" Tahno asked him.

"You up for a short walk in the woods?" Ming replied half jokingly. The ex-waterbender rolled his eyes.

"Ming—just take me to this scout of theirs," Tahno remarked. Ming sobered up some and led the way. It seemed like they had been walking for a while before either heard crunching of underbrush coming from somewhere nearby. Even by moonlight, Tahno couldn't see his surroundings very well, and could only make out a vague silhouette of an individual moving about nearby. He fought with tangled underbrush as he made his way in the direction of that silhouette. When he was practically up in the individual's face, he spoke.

"Hey—are you looking for—" Tahno stop midway into what he was saying when his eyes landed on the so-called scout, his mouth hanging agape in shock. The other individual was just as easily shocked—his soft brown eyes staring at the ex-waterbender, purely flabbergasted.

"T-Tahno?" Shaozu's tongue tripped over his own words, making most of the rest of his following utterances nearly incoherent. "I-I—w-where a-are—" He took a moment to gather his wits before continuing. "I was sent out to look for you guys. Are you out here all by yourself? D-did something h-happen to—"

"Shao, relax—Ming told me somebody was out looking for us from the city," Tahno side-glanced in the ex-earthbender's direction, who was standing some distance away. "He didn't bother to say it was _you_ out here though."

"Looks like Ming's up to his old tricks," Shaozu replied, amused. "So—where is everyone else? It's kinda…I dunno—quiet out here."

"Shao—sometimes you're really dense," Tahno commented. "We're camped out in a clearing nearby. We're trying to be quiet to keep Hiroshi's goons from spotting us out here."

"I should've thought of that," Shaozu admitted. "Take me back there so I can talk to the old airbender. We've got a way to sneak you guys into the city, and the person in charge of sending me out here wants me to talk to Tenzin specifically about a few things."

"Yeah—we're just over this way," Tahno stated, leading the way back to their makeshift _camp._ When the two showed up, the others were already settled around a controlled campfire. At the sound of crunching brush, they all looked over.

"We were wondering if something happened to you," Mako got to his feet and approached the ex-bender. He was just noticing the other former Wolfbat as he drew closer. "Hey—what's your old teammate doing out here?"

"Somebody from the underground sent me out in search of you guys," Shaozu told him. "I think the guy said he's your boss. Does the name Ishio ring any bells?"

"Yeah, he's my superior," Mako replied. "Underground? What's going on?" Shaozu told him about his mission, a small gathering forming around him as he spoke.

"Ishio wanted me to tell you that he's been in contact with your brother, Commander Bumi, throughout most of the afternoon and evening, and he wanted to make sure you all got inside the city undetected." Shaozu said to Tenzin specifically as the airbending master joined them. "Chief Beifong gave him the idea to use some old abandoned tunnels running through the mountains to get you guys in undetected. They connect up with underground tunnels running through the city." He paused a moment to catch his breath. "It'd probably be a good idea to get you all underground before Sato spots you guys out here. From what I've managed to witness—the man's gone tyrannical and crazy."

"Let us get everything taken down first," Tenzin informed him. "You can lead the way to this tunnel system afterwards."

"Fine by me," Shaozu responded. While the former firebender got to work helping the airbender and his sister disassemble the pitched tents with some extra help from Asami and Bolin, his former waterbending teammate and the firebender stayed behind.

"I thought something might've happened to you—like you wandered off and had one of those fainting spells while you were out there," Mako said in a voice just above a whisper. His mouth was drawn into a frown, auburn eyes fraught with concern. "Don't wander off like that again. If something were to happen to you—"

"I won't wander off again, Mako—I promise," Tahno assured him. He looked to the side, spying Korra standing nearby watching them. The ex-bender looked down at his feet. "Let's…go help the others pack up."

"Y-yeah." Mako stood there, waiting for the ex-bender to move before he too followed suit. Tahno noticed the firebender watching him particularly closely; like he was worried something might happen at any moment—like the firebender was preparing for the ex-bender to collapse. Tahno tried shrugging it off, but he had a gut feeling that something was up with Mako.

Like a passing premonition, he got the sense that the firebender was aware of more about his condition than what he'd told him. But—now wasn't the time to worry about what Mako might know about it. They needed to get packed up and underground quickly, so he pushed that thought to the back of his mind and helped deconstruct the camp.

XoXoX

It seemed like a lifetime ago to Tarrlok that his own brother had confined him in this _cage_ before him. His brother—the one who'd stripped him of his waterbending before he'd rendered him unconscious and dragged him there, confining him in the very _cage_ in front of him before they bolted from the city in their getaway motorboat.

Hiroshi Sato had the entire city under his occupation. Like his brother before, the former businessman took Air Temple Island as his main base. Under his command the man had gathered up a force of loyal followers, many of who had supported Noatak before his true identity was revealed to the masses. Many who still believed in Amon's cause before he was discovered to be a traitor—a bloodbender hiding his true identity behind a mask.

While he spied on him from the shadows, Tarrlok had seen Sato conversing with other spirits. A few he recognized from more recent history—the tyrannical Fire Lord who once sought to rule the world, a Fire Nation general who thought to take down the Moon Spirit and bring on chaos beyond his own understanding…as well as the spirit of his own father.

Yakone; not in the form Tarrlok was most familiar with growing up, but the form he must have embodied before his downfall as overlord of Republic City's underworld. Who he was before Avatar Aang stripped his bending. He was one of the reasons why Tarrlok had to watch and listen from the farthest reaches of the shadows. He knew there was a strong possibility that his father would recognize him if he saw him there.

One spirit in particular stuck closely by Sato's side most of the time, that of a woman—a beauty with long dark hair and vibrant verdant eyes. She oftentimes would be whispering in his ear, breathing words only the businessman himself could ever hear, and Sato seemed entranced by the woman's very presence there by his side.

At that moment, Tarrlok was alone in the room standing on the opposite side of the bars from his previous occupation of this very same room. His eyes were on something in particular as he stood there making his observations about Sato's activity. The shape of a young woman, unconscious, her arms and legs bound so that—if she were to awake from her current state—she wouldn't have a means to escape; a beautiful young woman, her skin as dark as his and hair of a similar color to his own.

XoXoX

While everyone else was busy packing up supplies, Korra stood off to the side, watching. It irritated her that she couldn't do anything to help—or just _do_ anything but stand there with her hands on her hips and eyes on the activity going on around her.

"Sucks when all you can do is stand around and watch, doesn't it?" Korra did an abrupt turn to face the culprit, the former Wolfbats earthbender who was standing by her side with a grin on his face.

"Ming, right?" Korra asked him. He nodded.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, _Avatar_ Korra," Ming mock bowed, grinning still as he once again stood straight.

"You're right, it _does_ suck that all I can do is stand here and watch," Korra commented. She looked at the ex-earthbender curiously. "Hey—I need to ask you a few things."

"Like what?" Ming asked, smiling.

"Pretty boy—I mean, Tahno—told me about how you two were an item, and how you once told him you committed suicide because somebody threatened to hurt him if you didn't—" Korra paused, meeting his gaze with serious turquoise irises and holding it. "—But what I want to know is…why did you _really_ do it, and—who have you been working for all this time?"

Ming met her gaze with an equally serious expression. "I've been waiting till the time was right to tell him, but yeah—there's another spirit I've been taking instructions from since the beginning," he told her. "If you're okay moving away from the gathering for a little bit and can promise me you won't tell Tahno about it for the time being—I'll tell you all about it."

Korra looked over at the deconstruction process—Asami helping Kya load the tent canvases back in their bags, Bolin helping Tenzin load the packed bags onto Oogi's back, Tahno and Shaozu helping Mako with putting out the fire and cleaning up around the makeshift _ring_—and then back at the former earthbender.

"Okay, let's take a short walk."

Ming smiled. "This way—miss Avatar."

Korra spied ivory luminescence filtering through the tree canopy overhead as she and Ming move through the dense underbrush at ground level all around them. Even without a physical body that held substance, she still felt like she was battling with each twisted branch, every long extending growth of flora that crossed her path.

"You're thinking too much like you're still bound to your body. Let that feeling go, and you won't have to fight through the plant life getting in your way," Ming noticed her struggles, a stifled grin hinting on his face.

"Humph," Korra grumbled. "It won't be long before I'm back in it and everything will be back to normal." She took his advice though, and focused less on the physical challenges in her way.

"Be thankful you have that to go back to," Ming replied with a hint of remorse in his voice. "Mine's buried deep underground—and there's no chance I'm ever gonna be able to get back into it again." Korra got the sense that he wasn't trying to make her feel bad, but she felt a pang of guilt nonetheless.

In the far distance Korra could hear receding noises from the camp they'd left behind, the sounds of those living souls growing farther away as they trudged further out. "How much farther were you planning to go?" Her eyes darted around the moonlit woodsy environment around them. "Were you aiming for somewhere specific?"

"Just a short ways to go," Ming told her, leading her for a few minutes longer before he stopped inside a small clearing. He looked towards the sky, visible through a parting in the trees overhead. The sky was lit by pinpricks of light on an inky canvas, the centerpiece being a complete oval, full moon.

"Okay—are you ready to spill, or what?" Korra stopped a few feet away from the ex-earthbender.

Ming took his eyes away from the sky and looked her way. He smiled radiantly, moonbeams highlighting his handsome features and pale gray eyes. "Here's the whole tale of what's really been going on behind the scenes with me," he said. "And the spirit I've been working with."

XoXoX

Kanani's long, dark hair shifted in the arctic breeze as she stood at the ship's railing, looking overboard at the water below. She released a somber sigh as her eyes trailed over the gentle ripples on the surface. So much had happened in the past couple weeks, she felt overwhelmed with emotion. She hated to depart so abruptly from her son without a proper goodbye, but she wasn't given much of a choice. She wished she could've embraced him one more time before she left, at least given him a proper farewell before leaving him for the second time in his life.

Unrak had been very insistent on heading out though, so much so that he barely gave her time to pack much of anything. Their _flight_ to their departure vessel was made in such a hurry, the passage of space and time seemed to blur from departure from home to arrival on the ship.

Kanani recalled a peculiar glint in her husband's eyes, a glossed over appearance that seemed unusual in comparison to Unrak's more familiar gaze. His usually intense, focused turquoise gaze looked to her clouded—possessed even. Like it wasn't Unrak at all behind that gaze—

That sounded crazy to Kanani though. It was probably due to stress over his brother's health that he appeared unfocused, turquoise orbs glazed over. Her mind drew to that conclusion as she continued to watch the waters rippling all around her.

With a quick gesture of her hands she rose a tendril of water up from below, arcing gracefully before letting it sink back towards the ocean's surface. Her mind drifted away from thoughts about her husband's unusual demeanor towards ones of her son. Her mind weighed with melancholy as it addressed the predicament Tahno had endured through several months back, the loss of the gift he had inherited from her.

She hoped someday his bending would be restored, and that he might have learned something since he lost it. She remembered how her son always preferred to use his bending in sport or aggression, much like her first husband once did with his own earthbending. She was sure that his father's influence—along with how they didn't get along—had driven her son to adopt that attitude towards his own bending, and Kanani hoped that—if he ever got it back—he'd reconsider his approach to the use of his waterbending.

So long ago, it seemed, she remembered how Tahno used to not to be that way. But growing up, teen and peer pressures—along with those from his own father—as well as the attitude he picked up from his time competing in probending, it had all eventually hardened up that once sweeter, young demeanor she remembered and led to who he was now. She knew somewhere deep inside that boy still existed within her son though, and she clung onto that thought as she watched the sea from where she stood.

XoXoX

The entrance to the underground tunnel was well hidden behind a layer of extending tree branches and underbrush. Once Shaozu got the overgrowth pushed out of the way, it revealed a decently sized—and obviously manmade—tunnel. Once Tenzin got Oogi situated for the time being, they pressed forward.

"From what your boss told me—this tunnel system's been here since the hundred year war," Shaozu was saying, directing it specifically at Mako more so than everyone else. "Said some earthbenders constructed it to use as an underground hideaway while dealing with the opposing Fire Nation forces. Doesn't look like they were put to much use though—the pathways are carved out and lead through the mountains in a twisted sort of labyrinth, but there aren't much signs of human use down here outside the fact that it's all manmade."

"Did Ishio know the history of these tunnels, or did he pick it up from another source?" Mako asked him. They were moving along in the dark, the only light guiding the way the waning beam of a flashlight. Shaozu turned to him instantly, showing hints of envy when the firebender lit the way with a ball of flames contained in one fist.

"Some homeless guy filled him in on all the details," Shaozu replied, eyes still fixed on the flames emanating from Mako's palm. "The guy apparently is well-versed on the history of the area."

"How far down do we have to go before we reach the city's underground?" Bolin spoke up. Shaozu broke his gaze away from the earthbender's brother's flaming palm towards him.

"A good hour's walk," Shaozu replied. "Hope you all can handle the trek."

"After spending most of the day flying, I think I can handle an hour's worth of walking," Bolin replied. The former firebender grinned wryly.

"Almost forgot that you're totally in your element," Shaozu commented, hit with a sense of sudden melancholy. "Like Ming used to be before—you know."

They all fell silent from there, making the rest of the trip without speaking along the way.

XoXoX

"He approached me in my dreams one night, and told me his story—and his plans," Ming was telling Korra, voice serious and level.

"Wow—I had a list of possibilities of who you might be working with, but this one wasn't even on the list," Korra commented, stunned.

"Yeah, I'm sure most people who have knowledge of the spirits wouldn't have expected this one to approach me with this kind of request," Ming told her. "Well… that spirit then gave me the choice of whether I would be the one to aid him, or if he would have to approach Shaozu or Tahno with the same request."

"How come you three?" Korra asked him.

"You see, the three of us…we all had the ability to gain that spirit-seeing thing if we were put through just the right circumstances," Ming told her. "When Amon stripped us of our bending, it left the three of us open to the possibility. And since—outside a bunch of triad criminals—the three of us were the only ones left without our bending restored—"

"Why'd you choose to go through with it?" Korra asked him. He looked to her with an ironic smile.

"Shao's been so happy lately with his new girlfriend, and I couldn't bear to see Tahno go through with what that spirit was asking me to do…so I chose to listen to him, and—well…made the ultimate sacrifice with my life." Ming's eyes shone with tragic light. "All our old rivals seemed to think Tahno was the best target of the three of us to take all their aggression out on. Over the months following Amon's attack on the probending arena—on us—there was hardly a night where Tahno would come home from work without having some kind of confrontation along the way. Sometimes it would be so bad that he'd come in completely late after a stay in the hospital being treated by the healers. Once or twice I didn't see him come in until the following morning. I hated seeing him being constantly abused like that by our old competition." He clenched his jaw, holding back a wave of emotion. "I don't know why they didn't choose to target me too, but I wish they would've! I could've taken it, and it would have taken some of the strain off Tahno if they had!"

"Pretty boy really was put through the ringer," Korra noted solemnly.

"Do you think you can lighten up on calling him _pretty boy_—at least around me anyways?" Ming asked her poignantly. "It bugs me when you call him that."

"Okay, I'll refrain from calling him that," Korra replied. She fell silent for a moment, looking at her hands anxiously. Then she looked back up at the ex-earthbender. "When you were confronted by that spirit in your dreams, weren't you frightened in the least? I wouldn't know it firsthand as I haven't confronted him—yet, but I know he's got that kind of reputation."

"It took all I could muster to keep my nerves in check," Ming stated. "I knew from past knowledge that if I so much as—" He paused in midsentence, as if listening for something it appeared. Then there came a loud crunch, confirming the theory.

Korra strained her ears as well, searching out the source with her eyes. The sound kept growing nearer, like something was crashing through the underbrush at top speed. And then, all of a sudden and in quite a rush—the culprit of the loud crashing came straight for them—practically plowing _through_ them. It took several moments for Korra to recover her nerves afterwards.

"What _was_ that?" Korra exclaimed. She looked to the former earthbender, who was laughing—a relieved sounding laughter.

"Wolfbats," Ming replied when his laughter subsided. "On the hunt, I'm guessing."

"Yeah, I guess." Korra's eyes followed where the wolfbats had headed, her ocean shallows unexpectedly catching sight of the form of a man several feet away.

He appeared to be older, maybe in his mid to late forties, with neatly cropped short dark hair and sage green eyes. His face had strangely familiar features; she had seen that distinct jaw line somewhere before—

His sage green eyes were directed her way. At first Korra believed they were seeing through her, but after a moment of realization set in, she saw that he was staring directly at _her._ To add more weight to the theory, he silently approached her and the ex-earthbender. Korra looked to Ming, wondering if he might be as alarmed by the man's presence as she was—or the fact that he apparently could _see_ them. But when her eyes met his, she noticed a sense of recognition captured in them.

"Relax, Avatar Korra, I know him," Ming assured her. "We go way back."

"Who is he?" Korra asked him curiously, eyes on the approaching _stranger._

Ming answered in a matter of fact fashion. "That's Tahno's dad."

XoXoX

After an hour's trek through dark, twisting tunnels and heavy, pungent earthy scents all around, the group passed from the old tunnel system into the modern underground labyrinth running below Republic City. It took them twenty minutes longer before they reached the underground _base_ where Ishio and his people were stationed.

Upon their arrival, Ishio was in the middle of a conversation with a rumpled looking gray haired man by his side. When he heard them coming he looked up and smiled.

"Good to see you all arrived in one piece," Ishio commented as he approached the young firebender in the company. "You've missed out on a lot of fun while you've been travelling the world, Mako." He smiled wryly.

"I've heard the reports," Mako replied, smiling for an instant. "And it's not like I haven't been dealing with a lot of stuff of my own while I've been traveling."

"We're all well aware of the situation involving Avatar Korra," Ishio told him. "Speaking of which, we managed to nab several of Sato's cohorts, take them hostage. Haven't gotten much out of them; we've kept them unconscious since we grabbed them, but we did manage to make good use of their Equalist garb. A few of my people down here _borrowed_ their uniforms and went up into the city to try and pinpoint Korra's location. So far, not much has turned up about her whereabouts, but we're working on it."

"Can you tell me what's been going on in the city above ground since my departure?" Tenzin asked Ishio.

"Sato's forces flooded the streets yesterday with both his people and those monster contraptions I guess he's been rather busy building lately," Ishio replied. "The power outages have ceased up for the time being, but Hiroshi's got the streets patrolled by his people and machinery from the ground level and above. Civilian movement along the streets is limited to routine travel from work and back, and grocery shopping trips and the like, but Sato's put out orders to nab any officials and notable individuals his people come across whenever they're discovered. Because of that I've kept most of Chief Beifong's people down here with me, as well as the city officials that made it down here—we managed to get two of them down here, the other two were taken before anyone could react to intervene—to prevent them from being captured by Sato's people.

The two we managed to retrieve were Tarrlok's replacement on the Council and the Fire Nation's representative. I've mostly been relying on civilian support for information on what's going on up there so we can build a plan to recover the Avatar and take back the city. We also have obtained information that Sato's been putting on mini demonstrations in the park with some of the Triad prisoners from the prison after some of his forces took it over. Also had the prison guards with bending and a few notable civilians mixed in here and there for an extra impact. With how spread thin we were making sure the citizens in the city were calmed down, we didn't have the forces to fight the initial prison takeover. I regret my inability to act, but the people of the city came first."

"You had to make your choices, so it is understandable you weren't able to act in that situation," Tenzin responded. "Have your informants been able to obtain any information about what's going on at these mini demonstrations?"

"One of them _did_ manage to slip past the Equalist guard while in disguise and witnessed Sato demonstrating his newly attained ability he's been claiming to have," Ishio replied, expression grim. "With the help of some behemoth mecha of his, he's been having success with the procedure. From what my informant witnessed—he stripped several of his captives bending from them right there on stage. They put on an elaborate display with the prisoners onstage—ordering them to try to use their bending afterwards—but…none of them seemed able to." He scoffed bitterly. "With all the anonymous tips coming in on Triad activity lately and the flood of arrests being made—I thought we hit a streak of good fortune. Instead I practically handed Sato what he wanted—benders he could test his theories on before moving on to his very public upcoming demonstration with Avatar Korra."

"Don't take it too hard," Mako told his superior. "You were doing your job—how were we supposed to know that Hiroshi's people might've been providing those tips?"

"You're right, Mako—with how lucky we seemed to have gotten, we couldn't have suspected that there was an ulterior motive behind it," Ishio replied.

"Where's my father been running his operation from? Not the Sato Estate or Future Industries, I hope," Asami spoke up. Ishio addressed her with his gaze on her.

"So far, Miss Sato—it looks like your father's left your estate and business alone," Ishio informed her. "A few metalbending officers managed to tunnel up to where the entrance to his workshop used to be and investigated the interior grounds of your home. When they reported back to me, they said the place was vacant. I hope you don't mind that we took some food provisions and used them."

"No, I don't mind," Asami assured him. "I'm just thankful my father hasn't taken over my home or business. There are a few things I would prefer he not get his hands on."

"Like what?" Ishio asked her.

"In recent months I've been developing a line of biplanes based on my father's previous designs for the United Forces," Asami told him. "The blueprints and several biplane models that are ready for operation are stored in a couple of the warehouses on my company's grounds. I'd like to make sure neither of those lands in my father's hands, and that—hopefully…we can find a way to utilize them for _our_ purposes."

"I'll have a few of my people keep an eye on that for you," Ishio assured her. "As for where Sato has stationed his operations—it looks like he's taken Air Temple Island as his base from what I managed to obtain from some of my civilian informants. It's isolated from the rest of the city, and hard for our operatives to investigate it without being found out. We have one waterbender who volunteered to go over there and spy on them for us, but she's a bit young to take on that kind of responsibility in my mind, and she's been dealing with fainting spells since Shaozu brought her down here yesterday." He frowned. "We haven't been able to discover her mother's whereabouts, so I've had a few people here keep an eye on her."

"You talking about that girl, Kami?" Shaozu asked Ishio. "The one that Equalist man handed off to me after Mei Lin was captured by a couple of his cohorts?"

"Yes," Ishio replied. He turned his gaze towards the airbending master, and then towards his sister, Kya, standing nearby. Their eyes met up. "Are you a waterbender by chance?" He asked her.

"Yes, my mother was Korra's waterbending sifu," Kya replied. "Do you want me to check in on the girl's condition for you? My mother's one of the best healers in the world, and I learned more than a thing or two from her."

"I'd greatly appreciate it," Ishio told her gratefully. "So—your mother's a waterbending master, eh? Do you think _you_ could somehow get over to Air Temple Island with a few of my people here undetected and see if you could find out anything from Sato directly about what's going on there?"

"I could give it a try," Kya replied.

"From what Sato said over his citywide broadcast, we've only got a day and a half before his little demonstration with the Avatar," Ishio stated. "We need information on what he's planning and where he's holding Korra, so we should formulate some plans for what to do and fast."

"Why don't you all go ahead and start making those plans while I go check in with the girl?" Kya said.

"Sounds fine to me," Ishio told her. Looking to Shaozu, "Show Tenzin's sister to where Kami's being kept for me." Shaozu nodded.

"Tahno, why don't you come with?" Kya was looking at the ex-bender as his teammate got ready to lead the way. The ex-waterbender stared back at her, startled.

"Why?" Tahno asked quizzically.

"I want to show you a few healing techniques," Kya told him. "When you get your bending back, I want to make sure you are more knowledgeable of other aspects of your abilities outside of fighting with them. There's more to waterbending than knocking around your competition with it."

Tahno stared at her, silent for several drawn out moments. When he saw that she wasn't going to budge, he sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Yeah, okay—I'll go with."

Kya smiled at that. Shaozu had watched the exchange with a baffled looked on his face the whole time, stifling a grin as his former waterbending friend trudged along behind him and the elder waterbender. In the meantime, the others gathered in close and got down to discussing their plans.

XoXoX

Tarrlok stared through the bars of the _cage_ before him from the opposite side of them, eyes on a still figure of a young woman. Her arms were bound behind her back, with her head slumped slightly to the side, her eyelids closed—as if miles separated her mind from her body. Shadows enhanced her coffee skin tone, her long dark chocolate tresses. Those tresses that were usually bound behind her head in a ponytail now pooled around her face in disarray, somewhat obscuring her youthful features.

It had taken some time to discover the young woman's whereabouts, his mind never once drawn towards the most familiar option until practically the point where he was about to give up. It had been reminders of his last moments with his estranged older brother that drew him to this conclusion, this location.

He now knew where Avatar Korra's physical body was being kept; now he just had to be certain to inform the right party of her whereabouts.

Which in itself was going to be difficult. Most people couldn't even see him—sense his presence. There were major drawbacks to being dead, but there were also some advantages. In this case—it was getting past the opposing forces that took over the city, moving freely about without detection. Except for one. Hiroshi Sato. Tarrlok had to be careful around _that_ man in particular. Tarrlok knew with absolute certainty that Sato would see him if he exposed his presence to the former businessman.

Speaking of the former businessman—Tarrlok could hear the approach of footfalls coming from somewhere not far off; footfalls of someone who didn't tend to be light on their feet—footfalls that were most likely from Sato himself. Tarrlok looked around the space quickly to gather in a visual map of the layout, looking for a place to hide before Sato and his cohorts entered the space. He ducked quickly behind a stack of crates in the corner just in time.

"Everything's just about in order," Tarrlok heard a distinctly feminine voice speak. He dared to look around the corner of his crate hiding-place, catching a quick glimpse of Sato walking in while in the presence of his female spiritual company. Something about her looked oddly familiar, Tarrlok was just noticing as he pulled back and crouched down. "Ahead of schedule, actually. Plans could be set into motion for her as early as tomorrow."

"The sooner the better, I say. Who knows how long her consciousness will remain separate from her body? Hopefully she'll remain consciously separate from her physical body until after I'm through with her at least," Hiroshi spoke. "Will you be able to sustain her chi until then?"

"Yes, my dear—that won't be of any concern." At hearing the former businessman's voice, Tarrlok conjured up from where his female company looked familiar. Sato's daughter, Asami—

"It was—refreshing to see how successful the procedure is with those captive benders Yakone managed to gather for me from the prison," Hiroshi practically reeked of jubilance as he spoke. "It'll be most refreshing to apply the technique on her, and bring an end to the Avatar Cycle once and for all."

"It's a pity so much power was given to a reckless girl such as this," The woman directed her gaze towards their captive behind the bars across the way. Tarrlok managed to get into a position that allowed him a chance to observe the movements without exposing his location. The Avatar sat there, still as a statue, issuing just the slightest of breaths with soft intakes and exhalations. Signs that she was still alive, albeit the fact that her spiritual presence had temporarily vacated the physical premises. "But we'll alleviate that soon, my dear."

Hiroshi looked to the woman in complete exaltation, warm smile creasing his mouth upwards at the sides. "Yes, we will." While Hiroshi was staring at the woman in practical worship, another soul entered the premises. One that made the very fabric of Tarrlok's existence chill to arctic levels.

"Why aren't you possessing the body of the Lieutenant?" Hiroshi asked the malevolent entering spirit.

That spirit responded with, "I wanted to reported this without his knowledge. We had—a conflicting moment over control in the city yesterday. He handed over possession of a potential waterbender—a young girl—to one of the former Wolfbats, and I'm not sure if I should trust him completely or not."

"He was Amon's second in command—he probably didn't think a young girl was worth the effort at this time," Hiroshi rationalized. "From now on, I'd like you to keep possession over him."

"Yes Hiroshi." Tarrlok watched as his father came to stand side by side with the former businessman.

"So—what did you need to report?" Hiroshi asked.

"The airbending master's skybison was spotted near the city a few hours ago." Yakone turned his head in Hiroshi's direction, garnering the former businessman's complete attention. "Their whereabouts haven't been discovered as of yet, but we're on the lookout for their location."

"I figured as much," Hiroshi responded, turning his head again in the lovely woman's direction. "Did your informant catch a glimpse of who was with Tenzin?"

"Four young people and somebody older. Appeared to be the Avatar's friends and the air bender's sister," Yakone replied. "Your daughter was among them."

Hiroshi snarled, gritting his teeth. "She's no longer _my_ daughter." His voice seethed with fury, hatred. "Tell your informant to keep an eye out for them. I'll inform my people to watch for them as well."

"Anything else you want me to do?" Yakone asked.

"I want you to double check everything for Avatar Korra's public demonstration, make sure everything's in order," Hiroshi informed him. "I want everything ready by noon tomorrow."

"In a hurry to get things set in motion?" Yakone inquired curiously.

"The final part of my plan has to be carried out by the Solstice, and that's less than a week away," Hiroshi replied. "The more time we have to spare to get everything we need done that leads up to that last step, the better."

"I'll go make sure everything's in order then," Yakone assured him. After his departure, Hiroshi looked to his female companion again, lavishing his attention on her company once more.

"Soon the world will no longer know the likes of the Avatar Spirit, and the era of benders will finally see it's conclusion," The woman said, her voice hauntingly enchanting. Tarrlok hadn't noticed it much before, but there was something—different about Hiroshi's female companion. Something unusual, something he couldn't quite put his finger on—"Everything you've been wanting, darling."

"I'll soon have everything I've ever wanted," Hiroshi practically echoed her. His eyes were fixated on his female companion's. "Including my lovely wife once again by my side."

The woman said nothing more, only looking into the former businessman's eyes longingly. While Hiroshi and his spiritual _mistress _were entranced in each other's presence, Tarrlok sought the opportunity to make his safe departure from the premises. There were some real advantages to being dead—one of them being the fact that he didn't have to worry about the substance of body when moving from one location to the next.

XoXoX

The man's face had hard edges, his expression severe, but his sage green eyes, at their depths, were soft—friendly even. Korra watched as the man approached the duo, the man Ming claimed was the ex-waterbender's father.

"Tahno mentioned you once or twice since he got me out of the Spirit World. From the impression I got from him, he didn't seem to hold you in high regards," Korra said to the man as he stopped a few feet from her. At first, he didn't respond, a level of tragic remorse crossing his features.

"I'm aware of the fact that my son isn't exactly fond of me," the man replied. "We didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things while he was growing up—while I was still alive. I regret the fact that we didn't get the chance to better connect with one another, but…I'm hoping I can make up for it in the here and now."

"You know about his spirit-seeing thing then, I take it?" Korra asked him.

"Yes," the man responded. "Ming has informed me of the circumstances of my son's recently developed condition, and I have been watching over him for some time now—especially since his downfall at that Equalist leader's hands in the probending arena and events that followed afterwards."

"Rei Jin—that's Tahno's pops' name—has been keeping tabs on what's been going on in the city for me," Ming spoke up, looking to the older spirit. "Is there something going on—or did you stop in just to say _hi_ to Avatar Korra?"

"I wish this could be just a _meet and greet_, but I sought you two out for another, more specific reason," Rei Jin replied. "There's a man that looking for somebody—an older gentleman of water tribe descent. I think he said he used to be on the city council."

Korra's eyes widened. "Tarrlok?" She practically croaked.

"I think that's what he said his name is," Rei Jin replied. "Didn't keep up on politics and the City Council much while I was still alive. The man grabbed my attention when I heard that he's been asking the other spirits lingering in the city if there had been any word about Tahno and his party returning to the city yet."

"I've been keeping Tahno's dad informed on recent events with Tahno and them," Ming made a point to note.

"I confronted Tarrlok about the situation—how Tahno and I are related and that I knew somebody who could lead him to my son's location," Rei Jin stated. He looked to Korra, "Tarrlok told me he knows where your body is being held, and he wants my son to inform the people he's in the company of about the location. He also asked me to fetch you both so he could speak to you personally."

"Where's the Ex-Councilman hanging out right now?" Korra asked him.

"In a nearby clearing," Rei Jin replied. "Avatar, after we're finished attending to business with Tarrlok, would it be possible for you to convince my son to speak with me? I know it's too much to ask for his forgiveness for everything we fought over while I was alive, but—I just want the chance to talk to him." The harsh angles of his face somehow softened, his expression appearing vulnerable and somber. "It would mean so much to me to speak with him just one more time."

"I'll—see what I can do," Korra replied, mildly dubious. "We're not exactly the most chummy with each other, but I'll give it a shot."

"Thanks," Rei Jin spoke gratefully. "If it will help plead my case, tell Tahno that—I have news regarding his mother, Kanani. I need him to know she might be in danger."

"Danger?" Korra exclaimed.

"Let's speak with the Ex-Councilman first. I'll tell you more about it once we're finished," Rei Jin told her. She nodded. Rei Jin took a cue from Ming to lead the way, and so he did.


	16. Chapter 16

It didn't take Kya long to treat young Kami's minor injuries. As she intended, the elder waterbender ran through her healing techniques with Tahno, instructing him to watch closely as she tended to the young girl's injuries. Although it piqued him to some degree, the ex-bender reluctantly complied without protest.

As they were returning to the meeting still in progress, Tahno caught Korra's presence out of the corner of his eye. He noticed she was beckoning him. The ex-bender peeled away from the rest of the group and headed over towards her.

"What do you want?" Tahno asked her as she led him a ways from the group before stopping. When Tahno took the time to look around, he saw Ming standing there in the dank corner tunnel Korra had led him to. Next to him was yet another spirit, the one of the ex-Councilman, Tarrlok.

"He wants to speak with you," Korra nodded her head, indicating the ex-Councilman.

"About what?" Tahno looked at Tarrlok questioningly.

"About the whereabouts of Avatar Korra's body," Tarrlok spoke up. "I discovered where Sato's keeping her."

"Where?" Tahno asked him.

"In a cell that my brother confined me in after he stripped my waterbending," Tarrlok informed the ex-bender. "Which is located in one of the buildings on Air Temple Island."

"Air Temple Island, huh? Mako's superior was just talking about making plans to go investigate the island, said Sato took it as his base." Tahno replied. "Could you give me an idea where on the island Korra's being confined? I'm gonna need specific details in order to figure out the exact location. Tarrlok went over the details of the location with him, down to the most specific details he could recall.

"I also overheard some other crucial details," Tarrlok stated. "It looks like Sato's planning to move his demonstration with Korra up a day. He's planning to hold it tomorrow afternoon."

"Shit, that doesn't give us much time to get in there and get her out," Tahno side-glanced in Korra's direction.

"He wants to get everything he's working on set in motion as quickly as possible towards his final step before the day the Solstice," Tarrlok added. His expression turned grim. "Yakone also showed up while I was there, and he informed Sato that your party was spotted coming back to Republic City."

"Does he know where we are?" Tahno asked him anxiously.

Tarrlok shook his head. "Fortunately, no." His expression grew even more severely grave. "I'm certain that Miss Sato will not want to hear this, but—I believe her mother _is_ working with her so-called father."

"You sure?" Tahno exclaimed.

"Dead certain, pardon the pun," Tarrlok claimed. "I saw her by Hiroshi's side with my own eyes."

"Damn, this is really going to upset Asami," Tahno remarked. "I promised her a few weeks back that I'd get in contact with her mom, and damn it—Hiroshi's had her spirit tethered to his side this whole time. It's going to tear her apart."

"I _believe_ that it was her mother, but there was something unusual about her," Tarrlok informed him. "Their exchanges heavily suggest that she is _indeed_ Mrs. Sato, but something about her—I'm not sure what it is—feels off about her."

"I've heard that Hiroshi's working alongside some powerful Spirit." Korra spoke up. "Maybe that spirit messed with Mrs. Sato's mind somehow—made her act in ways she normally wouldn't."

"That's very possible," Tarrlok surmised. "I'll have to look further into the matter."

"Speaking of deceased parents," Korra said, looking towards the ex-bender. "I wanted to talk to you about—"

"Tahno!" In the distance they could hear shouting. "Tahno—where are you?" Korra stopped in midsentence while Tarrlok and Ming disappeared altogether, leaving the Avatar the only one in the ex-bender's company as Mako eventually turned a corner and discovered _their_ whereabouts. "I thought I told you about wandering off like that! If you passed out while wandering one of these tunnels, and I wasn't able to find you—"

"Relax, Mako—the ex-Councilman needed to talk with me, and…it just slipped my mind," Tahno told him. "I'm sorry I didn't keep my word."

"Just—don't do _it again_!" Mako let burst all of a sudden, embracing the ex-waterbender unexpectedly. Tahno squirmed awkwardly as the firebender kept his grip on him. "After your fainting spell last night—"

"M-Mako—I know where Korra's body's located," Tahno interrupted him. That managed to break the firebender's grip on the former waterbender. The ex-bender averted his eyes away from Mako, feeling the heat rising in his face from embarrassment.

"K-Korra." The Avatar's name had triggered the response in Mako's pulling back from the initiated embrace. He stood there, looking as flustered about his own mistake as the ex-bender. "Korra? Did you say you _know_ where Hiroshi's keeping her body?"

"Y-yeah, that's what I said," Tahno stammered, still feeling the heat in his face. He eventually managed to look the firebender's way, noticing the Avatar's presence off to the side, arms crossed over her chest, staring at the two of them. "That's what Tarrlok wanted to see me about—he discovered where Korra's being held."

"That's actually one of the reasons I was looking all over for you," Mako stated, not quite making eye contact with the ex-bender. "One of Ishio's scouts managed to get some information on her whereabouts. They found out she's being kept on Air Temple Island."

"Did your boss's informant get her exact location?" Tahno asked, finally managing to look the firebender in the eye.

"No." Mako spoke.

"Tarrlok told me exactly where to look for her," Tahno told him. "He said it's in a spot where he was kept after Amon captured him. Does that sound familiar at all to you?"

"Yeah, actually—I think so," Mako replied. "If it's where I'm thinking, it was where we—Korra and I—ran into Tarrlok before Amon's campaign crumbled and the two of them ran off."

"Yeah, um—at least we have a location," Tahno said. Mako nodded in agreement. "But we don't have much time to get in and get Korra out of there before Hiroshi uses her in that so-called _demonstration _of his."

"Oh? Why would that be?" Mako looked at him quizzically.

"If what the ex-Councilman told me is true—" Tahno paused a moment, holding the firebender's auburn gaze with his own icy blues. "Sato's planning on holding his demonstration tomorrow."

XoXoX

Asami's knees sunk right out from under her when Tahno finished relaying what he learned from the ex-Councilman. Her emerald gaze glazed over, eyes distant.

"I-it can't be true," Asami spoke almost mechanically. "My father couldn't have been right. My mother _never_ would've agreed with his plans—"

"Asami, look at it this way. Maybe she's being controlled by forces outside her own will at Hiroshi's wishes," Mako tried reassuring her. "Like Tahno was saying. There's some mysterious spirit working alongside your father in this—one that went out of it's way to impersonate that other one when it attacked the Southern Water Tribe festival we attended for Korra's birthday just so it could lure her to the Spirit World. If it's capable of impersonating other spirits, who's to say it can't also influence the minds of other spirits?"

"Yeah—who's to say that Koh isn't the one pulling the strings, controlling your mother's spirit in some way?" Tahno added. "I've suspected his involvement in this since he first confronted me in my sleep, and from what I know about him—the Face Stealer's twisted and powerful enough to do some pretty nasty things."

The light started to return to Asami's emerald orbs; she nodded her head slowly, seeming to gradually come to accept that possibility. "Y-yes, that's possible." She got back to her feet. Although still shaky, she managed to remain standing. "If that's true—if my mother's being manipulated by one of my father's spirit helpers, or Koh the Face Stealer—" She trailed for a moment, that distant look returning for a moment. "That makes me want to put a stop to my father's agenda even more."

"We're going to have to act quickly if we are going to have any chance of rescuing Korra before Hiroshi manages to do what he's planning tomorrow in front of the public," Tenzin pointed out. "A few of us will have to go under the cover of darkness and try to break Korra out while the rest stay behind in case something happens. Anybody got any ideas?"

"I think I might, Ten," Kya spoke up. Her brother broiled up in an instant.

"I've told you and Bumi too many times _not to call me Ten!_" Tenzin griped. Kya stifled a grin, as if to suggest the jab was intentional.

"Let's be serious here, please," Ishio stepped in to intervene, whether it was needed or not. Both stepped back and grasped the bigger picture once more. "Did you say you might have an idea?" He asked Kya.

She nodded. "We can travel underwater," she said. "I can create an air pocket underwater while somebody else provides an earthy underwater transport. It'll require the company of an Earthbender." She looked to the older officer and Bolin. "Underwater we'll remain undetected, and just in case Sato's got the water littered with underwater mines—I'll be able to maneuver around them more easily than if we were to make the trip inside a mechanical vehicle."

"That sounds plausible," Ishio told her.

"What do you think, Tenzin?" Kya looked to her brother for his opinion.

"Considering the time constraints, it'll do," Tenzin replied. He looked to the four young adults. "I think Bolin and Asami should be the ones accompanying Kya, along with a few of Ishio's people. Bolin can help you out with his earthbending, and Asami's understanding of how her father's mind works might be useful along the way. Her knowledge of hand to hand combat will probably also come in handy."

"Works for me," Bolin stated.

Asami nodded in agreement. "I'm more than ready to face my father to help get Korra back."

"Could I accompany you guys?" Shaozu spoke up after silently observing the conversation the whole time. "Sato's people took my girlfriend, so I've got a score to settle with the old bastard because of that. Also, I can't stand just standing around here doing nothing."

Tenzin looked to his sister. "Kya?"

"Sure, you're welcome to come along," Kya told the former firebender. "I don't think we properly introduced ourselves. I'm Kya, and you?"

"Shaozu, one of Tahno's friends," Shaozu replied.

"Nice to meet you, Shaozu," Kya smiled at him.

"What do you want me and Tahno to do?" Mako asked Tenzin.

"I'd like Tahno and you to stay here in the underground," Tenzin told him. "I think Tahno should remain here because he's our link to Korra, and Mako because of his relationship with Korra. It would also probably be best if they remained behind just in case something happens—and backup's needed." Noticing the look of protest on Tahno's face, he looked to the ex-bender, adding, "Also, taking into consideration that Tahno suffered through a fainting spell due to his spiritual abilities having an impact on him physically last night, it's probably best we don't put him in the line of danger for the time being."

"I guess I can accept that," Mako conceded, expression neutral. Tahno scowled, but shrugged his shoulders and gave a resigned nod in agreement.

"I'll go consult with my people, see who's up to going along," Ishio said. As he went to pass the ex-bender, he said, "It nice to finally meet you face to face. Mako's told me about you, and how he's been worried about you—and a few other things—this past month and a half or so." He smiled. "I don't know if you remember me at all, but a long time ago—your father and I knew each other." He caught the ex-bender's icy blues with his own before moving along.

The kind-faced man he recalled between blackout periods after his assault—he recognized that face as Mako's superior. Ishio had been the one to collect him up while he was laying there, a bleeding mess in that alleyway so many months ago—

_He knew my_—? Tahno stared at him particularly as the older man moved out of sight, and then towards Mako.

"Bolin, Asami, Shaozu—why don't you go with Kya and work out the rest of the plan? The night's moving quickly, and we don't have time to stand around wasting it," Tenzin told the two. The trio nodded, following the elder waterbender out. Tenzin then turned to the two remaining young men. "You two should get some rest. If anything crops up, I'll personally wake you up myself. I'm going to go and send a communication to my brother, Bumi—inform him that we arrived safely. If you need something to sleep on or in, here," he handed Mako a pack he'd had slung over his shoulder since they packed up their campsite earlier. The firebender took it from him. "There are a few blankets in here. Good night." He walked off in the direction Ishio went earlier, leaving the two young men to themselves.

"Just think—Korra could be back in your arms as soon as tonight or as late as tomorrow afternoon," Tahno said to the firebender after a long silent pause fell between them. He wasn't looking at Mako as he spoke, his icy blues focused elsewhere. The firebender felt a pang of grief when he heard the twinge of pain in the ex-bender's voice.

"And your bending could be returned to you as soon as or as late as that," Mako stated. Tahno sighed.

"I wish that's all I wanted out of this," Tahno stated, keeping it at that and going no further with his explanation. Mako didn't need further explanation anyways; he knew exactly what the ex-waterbender meant. And he was also certain Korra was somewhere nearby—

"What'll you do once your bending's restored?" Mako asked him, his solemn gaze on the ex-bender.

"Kick Sato's ass to the curb for one," Tahno smiled feebly. "Outside that—I'm not sure."

"We...should probably take Tenzin's advice and get some rest," Mako suggested. Tahno nodded somberly.

"That wall over there looks comfy enough," Tahno pointed towards one cement wall in particular. Mako made note of it, nodding slightly as he followed the ex-bender over towards it. The firebender was the first to get off his feet and sit down, the ex-bender following suit immediately afterwards.

Mako dug through the pack Tenzin had handed him, pulling out one more than adequate blanket and handing it over to the ex-bender. Tahno gratefully took it, handing the firebender one corner of it after spreading it across himself.

"It's big enough for the both of us," Tahno explained. Mako nodded, not wanting to bother arguing with him. In truth, he wouldn't have wanted to, whether he had the energy to or not.

Mako did a little more digging and discovered a couple more folded blankets. He handed one over to the ex-waterbender, saying, "It'll work as a pillow."

Tahno took it, murmuring soft_ thanks_ in return. He set it down on the harsh cement floor and then laid his head down on it, all the while facing the firebender the whole time. Mako took the other folded blanket and did the same thing, lying there staring at the weary looking young man with the icy blue eyes beside him. He pulled their shared blanket up over him, shifted a bit until he got comfortable enough, and then attempted to get to sleep.

Just as he was getting close to drifting off, Mako felt something take hold of his hand. Startled, his mind sobered up, he stared at the ex-bender beside him. He realized, as warmth emanated from the source of what currently was gripping his hand, that Tahno had taken a hold of it when he noticed it was out of view of prying eyes. Mako settled his excited nerves down, smiling softly at the ex-bender before he lightly squeezed the other man's hand with his own. He then settled down and drifted off.

XoXoX

After garbing up in some confiscated Equalist gear Asami, Bolin, Kya, Shaozu and a few of Ishio's people reached the shores of Yue Bay undetected. Once they reached the water, Kya worked her magic creating a _bubble_ around them as they submerged. Bolin got to work with the earth along the bottom of the bay, creating a platform for their travel and setting it forth towards Air Temple Island.

They beached along a secluded stretch near the skybisons island caves. One of the people Ishio sent with them, a young woman named Tishi, broke from the group for several long minutes to investigate the activity on the island before returning with a verdict.

"The pier's being patrolled by two of Hiroshi's people, but the walkway leading to the main hub of the island appears to be unpatrolled," Tishi reported, adding, "There are several of Hiroshi's people patrolling the main parts of the island beyond that—but there's no sign of Sato at the moment."

"Well, if we can slip past the guards patrolling the pier, it should be easy enough to get up to the main part of the island," Asami noted. "We'll have to watch ourselves from that point on, try and remain undetected, but there's some relief that my father's not out wandering the grounds at least."

"While you guys are going in, I'll keep watch here. I'll stay hidden in the caves until I hear or see you guys coming," Kya told them. She smiled. "Good Luck."

"Thanks," Asami replied. She replaced her garb's headgear, as did the rest in the party. She could hardly tell one from another while in their garb, although Asami knew who was who from before they geared up. Bolin was right beside her. "Ready to retrieve Korra?" She asked him.

Bolin nodded, his voice sounding tinny when he replied. "Let's head."

XoXoX

_The city continued to burn below, taking its time in order to be reduced to nothing but ashes. Continuing also were the violent screams of anguish rising from within the embroiling flickers of heat-intense light in a rainbow of hues. _

_Tahno couldn't make sense of what was happening below—if it was supposed to make sense at all. Nor could he figure if this was disjointed from a prior dream he'd had of a similar nature back in the Southern Water Tribe—or if the two were connected. Also—was this just a product of events as of late, or was there something almost prophetic to this vision?_

_The vision of an emblazoned metropolis continued as he questioned the point of it. As his mind was wrapped up in conflict over that, a tendril of rainbow hued flames rose up towards him. He could surprisingly feel their manifested heat as they rose higher and higher, until they were close enough to ensnare him in the their grips. His sense of detachment from the scene below started to frazzle and fray as the heat brought sweat to his brow, apprehension to his mind—_

_And then—it ceased all at once. The flames that were reaching up towards him no longer were, the heat coming off them gone. Instead he discovered he was no longer suspended above the city caught up in flames, but grounded on the soil beneath one towering behemoth of a twisted tree whose branches reached up towards a sepia sky, and beneath it in a twisting labyrinth existed Koh's lair._

_Unlike his previous visits to the known Face Stealer's lair, he didn't make an eventual trek inwards. It almost seemed as if he was instantly transported there through thin air, like his very essence was being summoned towards the very depths of Koh's home. Before he could truly acknowledge it, he was relocated from the outside towards the inner labyrinth of the notorious spirit._

"_The beautiful specimen living under unique circumstances," The Great Spirit's back was again turned towards him as he spoke. His spindly legs in mass numbers held his insect-like body upright, a sight that was intimidating even from behind. "Do you know that your time draws near?"_

_Tahno had to think over those last spoken words before he could bother to respond. That—and recover his nerves as well. "Yeah—I've been informed of the fact that my time is running out. I know what needs to be done by midnight of the Summer Solstice." He calmed himself completely before asking, "Why do you keep summoning me here? What do you want?"_

"_Did you enjoy the vision?" Koh's question caught him off guard, almost caused the ex-bender to flinch._

"_What?" Tahno questioned._

"_The vision of your city burning—did you enjoy it?" Koh clarified._

_Tahno felt seething bitterness embroiling within, but managed to keep it in check. "__**Enjoy it?**__ Why would I enjoy it? What kind of a question is that anyways? How do you even know I __**had**__ that vision in the first place?"_

"_I'm the one who provided it to you," Koh replied, approaching the ex-bender a bit too closely for his comfort, the Face Stealer's breath as foul as ever. Tahno had to bring his hand to his face to stifle a disgusted reaction. "You see, I have the capability of seeing things that will come to pass—could come to pass. That is a vision I have witnessed for your fair city, the one you call home. I thought it might do some good to share it with you. Think of it like—a metaphor of things to come, in a...sense."  
_

"_Why would I need to see Republic City burning?" Tahno exclaimed, barely keeping his facial expression neutral. Previous conclusions he'd drawn about the Face Stealer came back to him. He felt anger rising inside him in barely contained proportions. "Are __**you**__ the one whose going to burn the city to ashes? Are you the one responsible for what Hiroshi's planning—helping him out behind the scenes?"_

"_You should pick what you choose to say aloud very carefully," Koh got up in his face, changing his face from the porcelain white mask with exaggerated carmine lips towards something more human, male in origin with features suggesting middle age. "Anger—an emotion brought on by the sense of being wronged, offended—an emotion that rises internally until it reaches levels where it lashes outward in retaliation. Much like fire, it is an aggressive emotion that often mindlessly seeks to right perceived wrongs, avenge actions made by an opposing force, or annihilate everything that has brought on alleged pain and suffering. Fire is like anger; it burns and destroys everything in its wake in the blink of an eye if it is not contained." _

_Koh backed away from Tahno, adding, "Remember well what can result from anger, fury—the cost that can result from such a fiery emotion. Also remember how the two are linked, for doing so could prevent something disastrously...consequential from occurring—"_

XoXoX

Asami managed to lead her party past the Equalists guarding the pier and up towards the main part of the island. Once they reached the end of the pathway, she and the rest of her group kept on the alert, making sure that they remained unnoticed as they pushed forward.

"Where to?" Tishi asked as they huddled behind the wall of Tenzin's island home. Asami was caught in thought, trying to think of where they needed to go, trying to remember where Mako said Tarrlok had been imprisoned sometime back. She looked around, taking in the premises, trying make up her mind.

Bolin made it for her. "Bro showed me the location after Amon's campaign was long over. He also told me about Tarrlok's family tale while we were there. I think I remember where he took me that afternoon; it's that way." Bolin pointed in a specific direction towards one particular building, an island temple. There was a courtyard and more open space lying between them and their newly appointed location, and littered here and there in the space were a few of Hiroshi's people out on patrol.

"We should break into two groups of three. We'll be less noticeable that way," Asami suggested, receiving five nods in agreement. The group broke off, with Bolin and Shaozu following Asami while Tishi and the rest of the party separated from them.

Asami led the two boys across the open space, trying to emulate the posture of the other Equalist patrol. The two guys did the same, pulling it off convincingly enough to pass by two groups out patrolling unnoticed. When none of the patrols were watching, the trio slipped inside the temple Bolin predicted Korra was likely being kept in. They moved as soundlessly as possible while they crossed the floor, looking for the way that led up to the building's attic. Asami felt flooded with relief when they discovered what they were looking for.

As he pushed the door out of the way and climbed up into the space, Bolin's eyes landed on the girl tied, blindfolded and bound behind bars across the way. In excitement, he breathed, "We found her!"

"Thank the spirits," Asami released an exhilarated gasp at the discovery, hurrying up the ladder after Bolin. Without thinking about checking the premises first, Asami made her way towards the door to Korra's confinement. She was struggling with picking the lock on the door before she heard struggling behind her. She turned quickly to investigate the noise when her eyes widened in shock and horror.

Bolin and Shaozu were forced down onto their knees on the floor, their headgear thrown across the floor, identities exposed. Holding each down was an Equalist at each of their arms. They were busy at work binding the two young men's hands behind their backs.

Standing behind the two young men being held hostage was none other than her father, Hiroshi Sato.

"Hello Asami, I've been expecting you," Hiroshi spoke with stiff formality. "A very important informant of mine told me you would be…_stopping in._"

Asami growled at him, but didn't bother answering him. Instead she turned her back on him and fiddled with the lock again. She kept at it until she was forcibly restrained and dragged away from it. Asami struggled against the grip, but her mind was drawn towards that lock. Even as she was being dragged off she could hear the click resonating over and over in her mind. Even if nobody else heard it, it was very distinct to her.

The click of a lock coming undone, unlocked.

Hiroshi had his cohorts force his daughter to her knees besides Bolin. She heard him approach; felt him forcibly tilting her chin to look her squarely in the eyes.

"You used to be such a sweet obedient girl," Hiroshi addressed her. "It's such a pity you had to turn out this way, Asami. I will regret what I'll have to do to you in order to get the information I need out of you—a little." His face was ensnared in a widespread snarl, his eyes burning fury. "I might regret what I'll have to do with you once I'm done getting that info from you or your friends here. I've got plans for you, _daughter_—glorious plans." With her chin still tilted with one hand, Asami was forced to watch as her father lifted his free hand up—wearing an Equalist glove— and brought it down towards her forehead. She then felt the electric jolt pulsing through her, releasing a short, penetrating scream before passing out.

Before darkness claimed her, Asami heard twin jolts of electricity in action and two screams to her side, knowing well that the maneuver being applied to her was also being used on her two comrades. She felt embittered as she slipped into that darkness.

XoXoX

Tishi and her two companions hid behind the side of the temple, waiting for the right moment to break into a run and try to get inside unnoticed to help the other three they'd spied advance inwards with retrieving the Avatar and making a run for it. So far, they hadn't been given much of an opportunity to do so; Hiroshi's people were more actively milling around the expanse standing between them and their location. Still, the trio waited patiently for the right moment to make their move.

The moment would never come; as Tishi and her comrades stood there, huddled together watching the opening to the temple, they were shocked when the former businessman emerged with a small group of his followers and three newly attained hostages. Tishi almost gasped in shock upon seeing the trio, her nerves internally twisting up in alarm and anguish.

Asami and her two companions had been stripped of their masks, and appeared to be unconscious, as Hiroshi's followers were dragging the three from the premises to elsewhere. Hiroshi stopped for a moment to face one of his own, a man who'd famously become known as the Lieutenant during Amon's campaign.

"What do you want me to do with those three?" The Lieutenant asked Hiroshi.

"I want you to have them securely locked away until I have need of them," Hiroshi told him. "Daylight is approaching, and I have plans for the girl."

"I'll make certain that they're securely confined," the Lieutenant replied, he aimed his gaze towards Asami. "Isn't that your daughter?"

"_Was_—I no longer associate that connection with her. She and I—we're on opposite sides of this situation, and she's become nothing more than a pest to me." Hiroshi issued a few more instructions before leaving the trio in the Lieutenant's care. The Lieutenant issued orders to their handlers to follow him.

Tishi and her two companions watched until they moved out of sight and then bolted stealthily towards the beach. They managed to avoid detection from Hiroshi's people along the way, and got there safely. Kya stepped out from hiding upon hearing their approach. Her smile instantly vanished when she realized it was just those three, and that Asami's group was absent along with Korra.

"What happened?" She inquired in concern, voice low.

"Hiroshi captured Asami, Bolin and the other boy," Tishi reported. "Bound and knocked them out. We watched them drag them away before making a clean getaway to report the incident to you."

"This isn't good," Kya said grimly. "Could you lead the way to where Korra's being confined if I asked you to take me there?"

"I believe so," Tishi replied. "I know which building they're keeping her in, but not the exact location."

"We'll find that out," Kya said. "Lead the way."

XoXoX

"Wake up!" Tahno was ejected from his unconscious state in an abruptly startling fashion by shouting and hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him. In an instant he shot up, taking in his surroundings before noticing the culprit to his rude awakening. Korra was kneeling by his side, mouth drawn into a frown, something in her eyes very grave.

"Why'd you wake me?" Tahno questioned her irritably, keeping his voice soft so as not to awaken the firebender asleep beside him.

"You see, I thought it might be a good idea to follow Asami and Bolin while they headed to Air Temple Island to get my body outta there, be there for when they finally managed to rescue me," Korra told him.

Tahno looked at her particularly. "Why aren't you there then?"

"Because—something's happened," Korra clarified. "They, along with your friend, Shaozu, were about to spring me from my cage when they were ambushed by Hiroshi and a few of his followers. Apparently, he knew they were coming before they got there, and set a trap for them." Korra expressed some remorse before going on, "I would've reentered my body to help them out, but I wouldn't have been of much use to them. Hiroshi's got my body bound and blindfolded, and I would've been a sitting turtleduck if I'd done that."

"Did Sato capture the rest of the party? From what I can recall, Mako's boss was sending a few of his people along with them, and Kya's there too," Tahno said. Korra looked uncertain.

"Kya's hidden in a cave near the shore, but I don't know what happened with the others," Korra told him. "I left as soon as I witnessed the other three being captured."

"Ugh," Tahno shook his head before getting to his feet. "Nothing can go smoothly can it?" He said mostly for his own benefit than as a question directed at the Avatar. Nonetheless she shrugged her shoulders. He looked at Mako, still slumbering. "Should I bother waking him to tell him the news?"

Korra looked at the firebender tentatively before shaking her head. "Let him get some rest. There's a chance things could turn around, and I'd rather not worry him too much until he needs to."

"Well—I've got to report this to Tenzin at least," Tahno told her. He was about to go in search of the airbending master, when her voice stopped him.

"Hey, pre—Tahno, I mean?" the ex-bender turned to face Korra. "Can we talk somewhere privately for a bit? There's something—someone, that I need to talk to you about."

"Yeah?" Tahno looked at her with his arms crossed in front of him. "Like what—and who?"

"It's—about your father," Korra told him, getting an eyebrow rise in surprise out of him. "And who your boyfriend, Ming, has been really working with this whole time."

"My—father?" Tahno practically choked on the words. "You met—my father? How in the hell did you meet him, and what does the old bastard want?"

"Can we take this somewhere else?" Korra shouted at him exasperatedly. "You're getting loud, and if you keep it up—you'll wake Mako!"

"Okay, okay—just lead the way," Tahno ran one hand across his face in frustration before looking at her. Korra rolled her eyes before leading the way.

XoXoX

Kya and her company managed to get past the pier-based guards and up to the temple undetected. Kya posted them as lookouts before she headed inside.

Inside the building was empty. Kya knew the layout of the island like the back of her hand, considering her father was the one responsible for building everything on the island—as well as the island itself. She knew where inside the building to look and where not to, deciding the best option was the attic, recalling the cell located there.

She found Korra's confines easily, lifting the door leading up into the expanse carefully and checking around the premises before ascending upwards. The place was amazingly devoid of Hiroshi's people, only occupied by one presence, and that presence was unconscious and on the other side of the bars.

Kya reached into her small bag at her side searching for something she could use to pick the lock, when she realized it was already sprung. Quietly, she pulled it back, nerves on edge in fear that it would creak in the process. She got lucky; it moved soundlessly until it was open wide enough for her to make her entry.

Kya approached the bound and blindfolded young Avatar, getting to work unknotting the rope tying her hands and feet together and removing the blindfold. She was thankful her Uncle Sokka had sat her and her siblings down while they were young and taught them the magic of knot tying, as it came in handy as she was removing Korra's bindings.

Kya took the now loosed binding and shoved them in her bag, and then snatched up the unconscious Avatar and made her escape. The elder waterbender was reaching the courtyard when she was confronted by a horde of Hiroshi's people.

"I should've known that my daughter and her friends were working with others in order to reach the island undetected." Hiroshi stood at the head of the small gathering, moonlight mirroring off his glasses making him look extra menacing. "I'm not about to allow you to take off with my prize."

Kya looked for another possible exit, but saw that her options were limited. All plausible exits were blocked, and she was physically outnumbered. She looked up to the sky desperately, eyes spotting the full ivory moon overhead. As she stared at the ovular ivory orb, she concocted an idea she wasn't proud to have to resort to.

"I'm not about to allow you to use Korra in one of your demonstrations," Kya stated, eyes still fixated with the moon. "Yue, please give me strength, and mother—please forgive me." She set Korra down on the ground for a moment, and then took a particular stance, making very specific gestures with her hands and arms.

By the light of the moon, the elder waterbender put into practice her inherited strength as a waterbending master using a technique her mother explicitly warned her was taboo after teaching it to her. Kya hated to resort to it, hated to break her promise to her mother, but the situation was dire, and it was probably her only option.

Hiroshi and his people writhed in agony, releasing pained cries as they were forced to submit to her bending. With a gesture of her hands she forced them to the ground, lying down against their will. She held them there before making another gesture that would leave them in unbelievable pain. While Kya was busy bloodbending Hiroshi and his associates, Tishi and her comrades came out of hiding. They each had confiscated Equalist gloves on their hands, using them to knock out the former businessman and his people while Kya held them down.

"Do you know where they took the other three?" Kya asked after all their opposition was knocked out. Tishi shrugged, as did her two comrades. In the distance they could hear harsh shouts.

"It was coming from the courtyard!" Somebody shouted from out of sight. They heard the pounding of footfalls approaching. "Come on, before they get away!"

"I don't think we'll have time to find them before we're overwhelmed, ma'am," Tishi informed her as Kya got Korra's weight balanced in her grasp. "We'll have to come back for them after we get the Avatar to safety."

"I'm going to regret doing this, but—you're probably right," Kya replied solemnly. "Let's get out of here before we're surrounded again." Tishi nodded, and then they slipped away towards the skybison caves.

XoXoX

Tenzin paced while Gommu, Ishio's telegraph operator, communicated with Commander Bumi, giving up to date reports on what was going on in the city.

"The Commander says he's been in contact with United Forces," Gommu brought Tenzin's pacing to a standstill. "They are mobilizing their forces and should be near Republic City at around noon. He says he'll be bringing his own vessel in closer, just in case his help is needed. He's informed the officials at United Forces to keep a distance from Yue Bay in case the waters around the city have been booby trapped like last time." He continued to translate the incoming feed. "Chief Beifong believes they should send in an aerial assault on Sato's tanks using Asami's biplanes. She and General Iroh are ready to pilot the planes whenever given the go ahead, and your brother's got several others who specialize in piloting the other biplanes he's got onboard his vessel."

Tenzin snapped his head towards Gommu. "Did you say that Bumi's got _more_ biplanes onboard his ship?"

"Yes, it was a part of the collaboration with Miss Sato's company and United Forces when they arranged to design vessels like the one Bumi's currently commanding," Gommu related Bumi's reply to his brother's exclamation. "They were just recently stockpiled on board his vessel. He insisted on making sure their first prototype was well stocked with all the perks."

"Bumi always did take after our uncle with his brilliant ability to plan ahead," Tenzin sighed. "Tell my brother to keep near his telegraph station, and not put any plans into action just yet. Tell him to bring his ship closer to the vicinity but make sure he doesn't disclose his intended location. We don't know if this connection is being tapped into or not."

"Your brother says he'll do that," Gommu related. "He asks that you keep him updated on Korra's body recovery status."

"Tell him I will." Tenzin left Gommu at his station to take a quick walk to clear his mind. Twenty feet down the way he heard footsteps approaching. He looked in the direction they were coming from, spying his sister Kya's approach. His eyes widened when he saw what she had cradled in her arms—or rather…whom.

"The mission…was a success," Tenzin uttered, awestruck. Seeing his sister's grim expression, however, brought him back down to earth.

"Not exactly, Tenzin. I caught a lift on one of the skybison in the island's colony after I broke Korra out of her confinement, but in the process of Korra's rescue…" Kya paused before tentatively continuing. "We kind of made an accidental exchange. Sato's people took Asami and Mako's brother Bolin, along with Tahno's friend, Shaozu, hostage. I didn't have time to rescue them _and_ Korra. I just managed to make it out of there with the people Ishio sent with us using a maneuver mother told me to never use."

"You used…bloodbending?" Tenzin was purely shocked. She nodded gravely. Tenzin's shoulders sagged. "Let us never mention this to mother, or anyone else for that matter. It was an emergency, and let's just leave it at that."

"My lips on the matter are forever sealed," Kya stated without an iota of humor. "What should I do with Korra in the meantime? Daylight's fast approaching, and I'm certain Hiroshi is alert by now and already making a change in plans now that he doesn't have Korra to use for his plans."

"Yes—he'll use his own daughter, Mako's brother and Tahno's friend as leverage instead," Tenzin sighed heavily. "My guess is he'll use the three of them in place of Korra at his demonstration this afternoon to draw us out of hiding. We're going to have to be careful on how we approach this."

"Let's discuss this with Ishio and the boys," Kya suggested. "But first—let's inform Mako and Tahno about the latest and reunite Korra with her young firebender."

"Yes—let's," Tenzin replied, leading the way towards where they left the two young men to get some rest.

XoXoX

Tahno could hardly believe his eyes. It was a sight he hadn't seen in more than three long years—one he'd hoped he would never see again.

His old man was standing there—his father—just like he remembered him, with his stern sage green stare and sharp facial features. He remembered people in the past telling him he shared some likenesses with his father in appearance, but he'd always scoffed them off and say he took more after his mother and her side.

Ming was also there, standing by Rei Jin's side. He stood there, watching—waiting, wondering what to expect it seemed.

"Never thought I'd see the old bastard ever again," Tahno commented as he came to a halt, eying his father particularly. "Kind of hoped I wouldn't have to."

"I know you and your pops weren't on the best of terms when he was alive, man, but can you cut him some slack for the time being?" Ming said. "He's been nothing but concerned for you since we reconnected after I _committed suicide_. He told me he witnessed every confrontation you faced against our old rivals since Amon stripped us of our bending—including that one…_incident_." There was emphasized pain in his tone on the last word. "He's also been helpful in keeping me up to date with some info, man—including the fact that Kanani's currently in possible danger."

If the shock of imagining his father witness his alleyway assault wasn't enough, it nearly bowled Tahno over when his mother's name was mentioned. "My mom's—what?"

"Your mother's in danger," Rei Jin stepped up. "I learned about your mother's current predicament from another spirit, that ex-Councilman Tarrlok. He told me this Sato individual sent one of his spirit helpers—I believe the spirit was addressed as Ozai at one time or another—to possess her new husband in order to draw her towards the Northern Water Tribe. I haven't figured out what for yet, but Sato's apparently got plans based there, and he needs your mother for something."

"Didn't I suggest something was odd about your mother's sudden departure?" Korra made a point to note. The ex-waterbender shot an irritable glare her way before centering his stare once again on Rei Jin, his father.

"Now that my pops has gotten in his piece—what about you, Ming?" Tahno forced his gaze towards the ex-earthbender. "The Avatar said you wanted to tell me about who you're really working with. Both _Amon_ and the Moon Spirit stated that there's another spirit you're working with behind the scenes—so spill, and _please_ don't tell me it's been my father this whole time."

"Korra—didn't I tell you _not_ to mention that to him, promise me even that you wouldn't?" Ming exclaimed, shooting a critical glare in the Avatar's direction. Korra winced.

"Yeah—I guess I forgot," Korra admitted. "But don't you think it's important to tell him now? Be upfront with him about everything?"

"I don't know if he's ready," Ming retorted, glancing Tahno's direction.

"How bad could it be?" Tahno spoke up. "It's not like it could be the Face Stealer, since it's pretty obvious he's working with Sato. Every time he summoned me to his lair while I was sleeping it practically reeked of Koh working behind the scenes of Sato's grand scheme."

"Koh's been summoning you in your sleep?" Ming looked at him, astonished.

"Yeah, ever since the day I first arrived in the Southern Water Tribe, he's been summoning me to his lair beneath that twisted tree in the Spirit World, telling me about Avatar Kuruk's tale, bad karma and a bunch of shit like that. Never really makes sense, and is always unnerving to confront," Tahno replied. "He's already dragged me there three or four times…" He was just realizing his friend's face had gone sheet white. "Damn it, Ming—what the hell's gotten into you? You've gone as pale as…well—a ghost. More so than I've seen you anyways."

"Well…Tahno—Koh's not working with Sato…_I've_ been working for Koh," Ming admitted, getting an incredulous stare from his friend in response.

"What do you mean you've been—" Tahno's mind had a hard time registering the concept. "Have you been deceiving me this _whole _time—leading me on while you've been working with _Sato_ behind the scenes?"

Ming released a frustrated breath. "This is why I didn't think you were ready!" He rolled his eyes. "No—I am in _no way_ working with that old bastard. Do you really think I'd work with Hiroshi after all he's done?"

"If you're telling me the truth, then tell me how you got involved with a spirit like Koh," Tahno remarked.

"Remember how I told you I committed suicide because somebody told me they'd hurt you if I didn't take myself out of the picture instead?" Ming asked him.

"Yeah," Tahno replied.

"Well…I was being cryptic with you, but I was being truthful when I said that," Ming replied. "The Face Stealer came to me in my dreams one night, telling me about how he foresaw Sato's plans and how the three of us were the only ones who could possibly put an end to it before Hiroshi could doom everything we know with his plan. Tahno—you, me, Shaozu—we were all capable of gaining that spirit-seeing ability because of what Amon did to the three of us. All it'd take is a near death experience, and it'd be triggered. Koh came to me asking if I'd be the one to make the ultimate sacrifice and be his helper—or if he'd have to approach you or Shaozu about it. After all I've seen you go through…I couldn't allow you to make that kind of choice, and with how happy Shao's been with Mei Lin lately…" He paused, sighing. "It had to be me. I knew eventually you'd recover from my death—I was reassured that you eventually would—and I just want you to be happy again. Believe me—it was a tough call, but I'd do it all over again if I was given the choice."

"If you've been working with Koh all this time, you must know what the hell his riddles mean then," Tahno stated. "Why he kept insisting on telling me about Kuruk's tale, and the whole karma spiel."

"Sorry man—I don't have a clue what Koh means by all that stuff," Ming shrugged his shoulders. "I'm guessing he's been telling you all those things because there's something you need to learn from them—regardless of how cryptic he can be about getting his message across. All I can say is think over what he's told you—see if you can make sense of what he's trying to tell you."

"So, if Koh's not the spirit working with Sato—which one is?" Tahno asked Ming. The former earthbender looked at him cluelessly.

"I don't know," Ming admitted.

"Tahno—do you think you and I can have a moment to talk?" Rei Jin spoke up, drawing the ex-waterbender's attention towards his father. "I don't expect your forgiveness, but…I'd like to talk just this once. It might be my last chance to speak with you." For the first time ever, Tahno saw desperation in his father's sage green eyes, etched heavily into his expression. "Please, give me this one chance at least."

"Okay—I'll give you this one chance," Tahno remarked. "First—why'd you have to scare Hana off like you did? I loved her, damn it! And then all the criticism about my relationships that followed, and my behavior, tastes—hell, you had something critical to say about _everything_ I did or wanted to do. Did I ever do _anything_ right, pops?" He leveled a critical stare his father's direction.

Rei Jin calmly responded. "Hana's family didn't approve of you, and I didn't want you to end up getting hurt. We were well enough off, but Hana's family had certain _connections_, and I didn't want you to have to face dealing with those." He paused a moment, looking into his son's icy blues tragically. "I only wanted the best for you. I didn't want your choices to come back to haunt you. The world is not a pleasant place most of the time—people can be pretty judgmental at times about things they don't understand or like. I had to witness that almost firsthand when a friend of mine's brother went through that kind of scrutiny. My friend's brother didn't fare well through the whole experience—he eventually committed suicide—and because of that, I didn't want you to have to face that kind of scrutiny growing up. It pains me that you even had to face the same consequences for that kind of ignorance—and almost take the same route his brother did as well."

"You _really_ saw what happened that day then?" Tahno couldn't look his father in the eye.

"I was the one who _got_ somebody to put in the anonymous tip about what happened," Rei Jin replied. "I didn't want you to die—especially not like that. We had our disagreements about…your interests in other men, but I-I only wanted to protect you from something like that happening to you. Apparently, in the end…it didn't do you much good."

"Yeah, well—you can't change the past, and—you can't change who I am," Tahno commented.

"Now that I realize everything—I don't want to change you," Rei Jin confessed. "Ming sat me down and told me about how close you both were. How much you meant to each other. I began to understand your perspective better. I—I just wanted to…apologize for not being more supportive when I was still alive."

"Mom said you told her the same thing on your deathbed. Did you come to the same realization about it then?" Tahno asked him.

"Yes, Tahno—actually, I did," Rei Jin replied. "My mortality made me reflect heavily on my life—all the mistakes I made during it; especially with you—my only son, my only child. I don't expect you to believe me, but—I've always been proud of you. I want you to remember that—always remember that."

"I'm finding it hard to understand, but—I think I believe you," Tahno replied. "It might take me a while to forgive you, but—eventually, I just might." He managed to smile faintly. "Hey—while we're on the subject of messed up family and the current situation—" He got to about mid-thought before shouting from not too far off interrupted him. He glanced around quickly, taking in the faces of his deceased boyfriend and father before they vanished, and the source of the shouting approached.

"Tahno, are you around here?" He heard Mako long before he saw the firebender. "Damn it—I thought I told him not to wander off—"

"Hey, Fireboy—I'm right over here!" Tahno shouted in response. Not more than a moment later Mako revealed himself. Tahno saw relief cross the firebender's face, as well as something else: excitement.

"Thank the spirits you didn't pass out," Mako stated, relief in his voice. "I've been looking all over for you! Tenzin and Kya wanted to see both of us, and—they managed to rescue Korra."

"They—what?" Tahno felt a mixture of excitement and dread welling up inside. "They succeeded? They got the Avatar back here unscathed?"

"Actually—" Mako lost any semblance of excitement. "Korra's back, but…in the process—Hiroshi's people captured Asami, Bo, and your friend Shaozu."

Tahno swore. "What happened?"

"Sato ambushed them when they were about to spring Korra from her confinement," Mako stated, shrugging. "At least—that's Kya's account of the situation anyways."

"Yeah—that's kinda how Korra related it to me," Tahno replied.

Mako looked at him weirdly. "You already knew—Korra told you?"

"Yeah, she said she followed them until Sato nabbed them, and then rushed back here afterwards," Tahno replied. "She then told me my pops wanted me to have a chat with him."

"Yeah? How'd that go?" Mako asked him.

Tahno shrugged. "Actually wasn't nearly as painful as I would've imagined it'd be."

"Glad you got a chance to chat with him before Korra restores your bending," Mako said. "Now—we've just got to worry about saving those three and reclaiming the city."

"Did the old airbender and his sister have a plan on how we're going to get them back and not get our asses captured in the process?" Tahno asked.

"Tenzin's hoping we can create some kind of diversion during Hiroshi's demonstration tomorrow," Mako told him. "Distract him, get in there and rescue the trio, and then shut down Hiroshi's operation permanently."

"Yeah—how are we going to go about doing that?" Tahno questioned him.

Mako shrugged. "He…hasn't figured that part out yet."

"Yeah, well…until he gets something in the works, I guess in the meantime…we can get Korra back in her body," Tahno stated a little reluctantly.

Mako nodded solemnly. "Yeah—is she here by chance?" Although she'd been quiet through most of his exchanges with his father and deceased boyfriend, Korra was still there, silently observing.

"Yeah—she's here, has been all this time," Tahno told him.

"Good, let's um…get her back where…she—ahem…belongs," Mako stammered nervously.

"Yeah—let's." Tahno shot a quick glance in Korra's direction before Mako led the way back. Melancholy built up inside the ex-bender with every step he took.


	17. Chapter 17

The reunion had been emotionally overwhelming and bittersweet. Tahno had all he could stand before he wandered off to collect his thoughts and let the two have their moment. His wandering for a place of solitude had brought him to a culvert that led out from the underground toward Yue Bay's shore side. He took a seat by the opening, staring out at it as dawn slowly approached.

He sighed heavily as his gaze carried in the direction towards Air Temple Island, only able to imagine what Hiroshi might be doing to Shaozu, Asami and Bolin. He'd left the others to discuss their plans on how they'd retrieve them, not having the heart to be a part of the discussion at the time.

"You look like you're overwhelmed," Kya took a seat by his side when he least expected her presence. He turned his gaze abruptly her direction, shock in his eyes. "Want to tell me what's up?"

"Have you ever wanted something you knew you could never have—no matter how much you wanted it, or it wanted you?" Tahno asked her, the words coming out before he thought them over. Kya smiled faintly.

"This about Korra and Mako's reunion?" Kya asked him, startling the ex-bender. "I know how you feel about the young firebender; Jinora told me all about it."

Tahno stared at her. "What all has that kid told you?"

"Enough," Something in Kya's eyes flashed tragically. "But I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to help you through whatever mental turmoil you're currently dealing with. If we're going to go ahead with our rescue plans, you're going to need to be clear-headed to help us out." She rested a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, smiling warmly. "Why don't you tell me about what's been going on with you, and your feelings for Mako."

"Well—" Tahno looked out across the water, gut twisting in painful knots. "If I tell you everything—can you _promise_ not to tell anyone else about it?"

"You have my word," Kya affirmed.

"Okay, well—here goes," Tahno said, shuffling his hands nervously in his lap. "Mako's helped me through a lot of emotional…shit, and…in the process, I—I guess you could say we opened up to one another. I got to know Fireboy better, and I—well...I fell for him. It's been a while since…well—since anybody's cared about me on that level without judgment since…well—Ming." He paused a moment, collecting his jumbled nerves. "Well, Mako made me become a version of myself that I hadn't been since before my last fight with my pops—and the fame and glory from being a championship probender went to my head. I guess…in the process of helping me out and opening up to me as well—Mako started feeling something for me in return." He paused, looking her way quickly before looking down at his hands again. "He thinks he _might_ love me, but—he loves Korra."

"I understand how Korra and Mako's reunion is affecting you," Kya told him. "You love him, and it hard to see him happy with somebody else, but life isn't always fair. Maybe things work out—maybe they don't. We all just keep pressing forward—eventually finding that happiness that makes our lives whole, worthwhile."

"Yeah, I understand all that," Tahno replied. "It'll just take me a little while to adjust. Believe me though—when the time calls for it, I'll be more than ready to step up and do my part to take that bastard Hiroshi down. He's abducted my friend—s, and the old bastard _is_ partially responsible for the loss of my bending—considering he was working with Amon."

"That's good to know," Kya replied. "Did you want to sit here collecting your thoughts a little longer, or are you ready to join the rest of us again?"

"Give me a little while longer. I'll be back in when I'm ready," Tahno told her. She patted his shoulder before getting to her feet.

"Good luck with that," Kya told him before disappearing further into the underground. Meanwhile, Tahno stared out at Yue Bay for a little while longer, gathering his thoughts.

XoXoX

"What we need to do is one: create a diversion, and two: find a way to take down Hiroshi's army of mecha that's taken over the city's streets," Ishio was saying to the group gathered. In his presence he also had several of his people—civilians and Chief Beifong's metalbending officers—along with Tenzin, the other two accounted for city Council members, Mako and a now alert Korra. "Any ideas on how we go about doing either of those?"

"If we could find some way to get the people United Forces has sent our way inside the city, we could get together a battalion of them working to take back the streets from Sato's mecha and his followers," Tarrlok's Council replacement suggested.

"I'd like to find some way to get Chief Beifong back into the city to help us out as well," One of Lin's officers spoke up. "Her expertise could really help us out. And General Iroh as well."

"They'll get involved once we've managed to hash out a feasible plan that can include their involvement," Tenzin spoke up. "First, though—we need to come up with something that _is_ feasible. And we don't have much time to work with."

While everyone else was caught up in the discussion, Korra stood beside the firebender, squeezing close to him. "I'd suggest going all out on Sato and his minions, but that might be a little too brash of an approach," she told Mako in a hushed voice. He nodded.

"I think they're looking for something more subtle and less confrontational," Mako replied. Korra looked around at the group, noticing something was amiss.

"Hey, where'd pretty boy—I mean, Tahno—run off to?" Korra noted. "When I got back into my own body, I thought he'd be practically begging me to restore his bending." Mako felt a pang of guilt mingled with grief at noticing the ex-waterbender's absence.

"He's…probably taking a breather," Mako stated. "Getting some rest, considering how much his spirit-seeing ability's been taking out of him physically lately." He knew exactly what made the ex-bender bolt, that he was certain he hadn't wanted to be there to witness Korra's reunion kiss that she'd planted on him once she'd been revived. He was sure that Tahno was having some emotional conflict over the whole ordeal, and for that—Mako felt bad.

"Doesn't explain why he hasn't asked me about restoring his bending," Korra commented.

_It's probably partially because he's feeling awkward being around us right now, _Mako thought. Aloud, he said, "He probably thinks there's more spiritual business he has to tackle before he can let you handle that. For all we know, he could be talking to Ming or the ex-Councilman right now about something."

"Why not just let me tackle that?" Korra stated.

"I don't think he'd be any more comfortable doing a spiritual chat with his deceased boyfriend with you as the medium then he was playing that part for you and me," Mako pointed out to her.

"I guess I get it now," Korra admitted. "That was a bit rough having to stick him with doing that for us."

"I'm sure eventually he will ask about getting his bending back. I'm pretty sure he didn't run too far off. He has just as much of a reason to fight against Hiroshi as the rest of us," Mako told her.

"What makes you so certain of that?" Korra questioned him.

"Hiroshi's partially responsible for the loss of his bending. Sato's also got Shaozu held hostage along with Asami and Bo, and I'm sure he has other reasons beyond that. I'm dead certain he'll be back."

"Please don't talk about death, Mako—I've been around enough of it for a good long time and I need a short break from it," Korra remarked. Mako couldn't help but smile faintly at the comment. "Mako?"

"Huh? Yeah?" Mako looked at Korra.

Korra took a hesitant breath, and then spoke, "I was listening in on that conversation Tahno was having with Ming and his father before you showed up to interrupt it. I also learned something interesting from that deceased boyfriend of his."

"Like what?" Mako asked her.

Korra looked up at him with her ocean shallow-hued irises. "For one, Ming's been working for Koh this whole time. Seems the creepy Face Stealer foresaw this whole thing involving Hiroshi, and The Wolfbats were the only ones capable of being his go-betweens in this whole spiritual shenanigans. Any one of the trio would be capable of acquiring that spirit-seeing thing if they faced a near death experience to trigger it."

"Was that the reason Ming committed suicide in the first place then?" Mako asked her. She nodded.

"Yeah. Koh wanted him as his spiritual advisor, and Ming took the job," Korra replied. "While the two were talking about the Face Stealer, Tahno mentioned something about riddles, Kuruk's tale, a spiel on karma. Said he can't figure out what Koh wants him to understand about the message behind all those things."

"Tahno's told me about those before, and said he couldn't figure them then either," Mako told her.

"Yeah." Korra closed her eyes. "Mako?"

Mako looked at her. "Yeah?"

"While he was talking with his father, Tahno learned that his mother might be in danger—that Sato's got one of his spirits hijacking her husband to bring her to the Northern Water Tribe for something Sato's got planned there." Korra sighed heavily. "At least—that's what his father said anyways. I kinda had a feeling there was something odd about her sudden departure. Sucks that it took this long to validate that feeling."

Mako perked up. "Kanani's—in danger?"

"Yeah—Ozai took her to the Northern Water Tribe. That's what I just said."

"Add another reason why he'd want to stop Hiroshi," Mako said. "When Tenzin's through with making the diversion plans, should we tell him about Koh and Tahno's mother?"

Korra opened her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Can we just have a moment until then?"

"Yeah, Sure." Make smiled, pulling her nearer, finding comfort in her close warmth as much as he found it to also be awkward.

XoXoX

Asami awoke with pain shooting through her head. It took some time for her mind to gain back enough coherency to search the premises with open eyes and take it all in, remember where she was and how she got there. In the meantime, she heard voices talking.

"Did your people find out where they went?"

"No, they made a clean getaway before we reached the scene."

Deep growling in fury—"At least we're not at a complete loss. They took our main playing piece, but in exchange—we picked up a few more crucial pieces."

_Main playing piece, exchange—does that mean that Kya managed to get Korra off the island? Was I correct in thinking I heard the lock click while I was jiggling it before I was dragged away?_

"Do you want me to send a few people out into the city to search for their whereabouts?"

"Send a few, but don't send too many. We need to keep the bulk concentrated on larger matters, like the demonstration in the park tomorrow. We'll need as many eyes on the ground, and in the air, as possible, because I'm certain they're going to plot some kind of recovery ploy for the two boys and—the girl."

"One of my informants said he spotted one of the island's skybison take off towards the mountains not long after that waterbender and her helpers took off with the Avatar. Should I send some people to go investigate that claim—see if it might lead us to where they're hiding out?"

_Good, at least they got away, and Korra's safe. I feel better knowing that at least—_

"Yes—look into it. I want to uncover their whereabouts, especially a certain _street rat_ they've got with them."

_Street rat—he must mean Mako. He must be targeting Mako now that Korra's out of his grasp. He knows that Mako's important to her, and he has that grudge against Mako because of me—_

"Any others you want me to have them focus on—the waterbender who got away by chance? Or Tenzin maybe?"

"I want you also to be on the lookout for that other young man that was accompanying them when their party confronted us in my former workshop, the one with the spiritual abilities. I've got plans for that boy, and in case that young man doesn't fold to my demands—I'm holding his friend here captive just in case. I've also got his mother as leverage in case that young man doesn't comply. Besides as leverage—his mother will be crucial for another step in my plans that I'll need that young man for."

_Young man with the spiritual abilities—does he mean Tahno? What would my father want with him?_

"I will send out a search party immediately, sir."

"Go, take care of that. I've got business to attend to here when the…_captives_ wake up."

"I'm on my way."

She heard a moan coming from somewhere beside her, inflicted with grogginess and hints of pain. She quickly glanced towards its origins, spotting Bolin's half aware figure beside her and the yet still unconscious form of Shaozu on the other side of him. She noticed both young men were bound; hands and feet, with both ropes and chains that were shackled to a bolt attached to the bars of their confines. Their _cage_ was different from the one they discovered Korra's body in, she noticed. Asami struggled to free her numbing hands, but noticed that she too was facing similar confinements to her two companion _inmates_. She then heard tapping and looked up.

"You finally awoke." Hiroshi Sato stood there, his face etched with more age lines than Asami could ever recall him having before her father became enemy to both she and the people she cared about. The crow's feet around his eyes were deeply defined, and now sharply enhanced in his expressive anger.

Asami recalled hearing other voices in the room along with her father's, but when she looked around, she spotted no other presences. It was just Hiroshi standing there, looking at her with contempt and hints of anticipation. She could only guess what the anticipation was for.

"I know you know where they took the Avatar—and I know the street rat's with them," Hiroshi addressed her, his voice stiff and formal. "What I want from you, _daughter_—is their location."

"I won't tell you that," Asami spat at him. "I'm not a traitor like you are. I don't betray my friends, and I don't plan to give you that information anytime soon."

"What a pity," Hiroshi stated. "I really wouldn't want to damage your beauty getting the information out of you. You remind me so much of your mother, and your mother would be clearly disappointed if…you were to end up losing that beauty." He shook his head in mock regret.

"I took more from mother than just her looks," Asami shot back at him. "Like me, she wouldn't agree with what you're planning to do. Whatever you've been communicating with that you claim is _her—_I know that it isn't. Whether it's something disguised as her or something else that's controlling her—I _know_ she wouldn't willingly agree with you plans for vengeance in her name."

"You can make all the claims you want, but I know not to take your word seriously—you insolent girl," Hiroshi practically growled at her. "Your mother stands faithfully by my side, and that's all that matters. And before long…she'll be standing by my side once again—like she was meant to before her life was stolen from her by those…_vermin."_ He sneered. "Setting that aside—where is the street rat hiding? If you can obediently tell me where he is, along with the rest of your people—I'll spare his younger brother from misery."

"Don't do it, Asami!" She suddenly heard Bolin's voice ringing loud and clear from beside her. "I'll take whatever punishment he can throw my way, so please—don't tell him!"

"Tell me—or he gets a real shock," Hiroshi demonstrated what he meant by bringing his Equalist gloved hand up, clenching his fist before opening it, raising the palm forward, and revealing a shockwave from within as an example.

"I won't." Asami looked to Bolin apologetically, but he smiled reassuringly, backing up his claim nonverbally that he was ready for whatever could be thrown his way. His expression practically screamed '_I'll take being killed and resurrected over and over again if it keeps my bro and our friends safe'_ at her. She had to smile at that, feeling strength growing within her own depths to take whatever could be thrown _her_ way. If it meant protecting the people she cared about—she'd take the pain.

Without any regrets—she'd take it all.

XoXoX

_The sky was tainted an ochre hue, the environment tinted with a sepia tone. It was as dreary and foreboding as any other time he'd been summoned down this same path, the land of the twisted behemoth tree, from which beneath its twisted root system existed the labyrinth that was the lair of the one calling himself the Face Stealer._

_Koh, the Face Stealer, as Tahno had come to know the creepy spirit as. The spirit that lived up to his name, literally stealing others' faces if they so much as winked a scant amount of emotion in their expression in his line of sight; the very same spirit that chose to punish a past Avatar by stealing the face of his beloved._

_Koh, the seemingly malevolent spirit who was more so amoral than evil—the spirit lived by his own ancient code of ethics. What some might take as evil was nothing more than a spirit so vastly knowledgeable and ancient that his ideals of right and wrong almost transcended time and space itself. The very same spirit Tahno had thought to accuse of being involved in Hiroshi's plot to take down the Avatar and bring an end to bending as everyone knew it._

_But Koh it seemed wasn't the bad guy, the minion working behind the scenes of the mastermind, but rather the foreseer who foretold the events before they even occurred, and had—in his own way—put in an attempt to prevent what his __**premonition**__ predicted; prevent the catastrophic consequences at the hands of one man and his spiritual helpers._

_And now—it seemed Tahno was once again being summoned to the labyrinth of the dreaded Face Stealer, for what—he didn't know. An answer to all the riddles Koh told him, or maybe another confusing one to add to the bunch?_

"_I know now that you're not working with Hiroshi to take the Avatar down," Tahno remarked as he entered the mouth of the lair leading to the Face Stealer's main abode. The dreaded spirit was there, as always, his back facing the ex-bender._

"_So I have heard," The spirit turned to face him then, his carmine lips drawn into an exaggerated smirk on his porcelain face. "Have you put the pieces to my little puzzle together yet?"_

"_No—I'm not good at solving riddles," Tahno told him. "Kuruk's tale, the spiel about karma, and that whole deal with fire and anger and that vision of Republic City burning and the metaphorical crap—when I try to put all those pieces together, it just gives me a headache."_

"_I will give you a hint, as your young partner pleaded with me to do," Koh said. "Think of Kuruk's tale as an analogy. Also—when you think it over, consider this as well—in the aftermath of losing his precious beloved Ummi, Kuruk made it a mission of his throughout the rest of his lifetime to put an end to me for stealing his beloved fiancé. He believed he could track me down and reclaim her when he found me, so he wasted his time caught up in his anger over vengeance with me for what I did and searching for her in the process—never once taking the time to consider why he paid that price, or grow from the loss. It wasn't until after his death did he eventually come to terms with what happened and chose not to consider pursuing his goal of vengeance."_

"_Anything else you could tell me that'll help me solve this cluster fuck of a riddle you've burdened me with?" Tahno questioned him with barely concealed irritability._

"_There is more, a tale about a jewel," Koh told him, smirk still ever-present upon his carmine lips. He approached the ex-bender, taking care not to approach too closely. "The jewel started out small, nothing more than just a small, nearly uninhabited spec of its glorious self. Over the course of a century and through many tears and bloodshed, the jewel grew in size, going from a scant size to gaining a sizable presence. Then the conflict of those hundred years drew to a conclusion, and the jewel really began to thrive."_

"_After seeing a few more conflicts, the jewel grew at a magnificent rate. It grew so large it became it's own worldly presence, separate of any other. Many grew to appreciate this jewel's presence, even flocking to it to seek out its splendors and promises of new beginnings. As many as there were who wanted to seek this new promise also wished to exploit it. Control it, make it do what they willed it to—reap the profits for their own benefit. But just as many failed at that task as did seek the jewel's promise of obtaining a new start."_

"_As brilliant as the jewel became, there was always one who abhorred its very existence. Sought to ruin it even, for it became the bane of their existence—for that one saw it not as the splendorous jewel everyone else saw it as, but rather a blemish to something they once deemed much more beautiful. That one was not happy with the jewel's growth during that hundred-year period, and was absolutely livid with its rapid expansion in the years that followed. That one sought to destroy that which that one deemed to be a blemish—to reduce the jewel to nothingness as it once had been before. That one wanted vengeance from the ones who created this blemish in that one's mind—and the culprit that one deemed solely responsible for the jewel's ultimate growth from the conclusion of those hundred years to now."_

"_That one seeks to destroy the jewel—by any means possible. That one has even made a few attempts to further this agenda using others as the motivated vessels. But each time that one grew near to being successful, the plans to destroy the jewel that was so loathed were thwarted—very often by the very culprit who brought on the rise of the jewel's growth in the first place."_

"_Yet that one keeps attempting to destroy that which is abhorred, because that is all that one has become—filled with rage, hatred, and a need for vengeance."_

_The Face Stealer concluded his riddle, approaching the ex-bender a little too close for comfort. In his eerily human voice, Koh added, "You goal now is to understand what the jewel represents, and the rest of the puzzle pieces should fit neatly into place."_

_All the while, as the Face Stealer was telling his latest tale, another riddle to add to the mix, Tahno was listening closely, absorbing every word as best he could. When Koh finished, the riddle made about as much sense as any of the others, but he could recall it word for word if he were asked._

"_Makes about as much sense as the rest of it," Tahno commented. The Face Stealer actually laughed in response—a rich, ethereal ringing resonating off the walls of the labyrinth that was his home. The ex-bender really fought not to react in response, his nerves rattled by the opulent pealing._

"_We will meet at least once more, my beautiful specimen—_"_ the Face Stealer told him. _

Koh's faces were shifting as the lair began to fade out, transitioning to facets of darkness. Everything around the ex-bender blurred and blackened until he realized somebody was shaking him by the shoulders.

"Tahno, snap out of it man!" he heard Ming shouting at him. Tahno's eyes shot open in an instant, staring straight at Ming, the culprit of the shaking. "Wake up, you don't have time to pass out right now, man!"

"Ming, damn it—you can stop shaking me now! I'm awake!" Tahno snapped irritably as the ex-earthbender let go of his shoulders and backed off a bit.

"It took me a while to wake you man! I've been trying to wake you for some time now—you got me riled up enough to be able to physically shake you!" Ming told him worriedly. "For a minute there I almost thought there was a chance I might not be able to revive you!"

"Geez, Ming—it wasn't _that_ bad," Tahno told him, getting to his feet. "Koh summoned me, and he probably didn't want to let me go until he was through with me."

Ming settled down. "Oh, I guess I hadn't thought about that."

"Why were you bothering to wake me up—didn't want me to sleep the day away or something?" Tahno asked him. Ming issued a short awkward laugh before looking at his friend.

"I came to inform you that they came up with a plan," Ming told him once his laughter settled.

"Who?" Tahno looked at him oddly.

"The group—that firebender you've grown so attached to, the Avatar, and the old airbender—know which one I mean?" Ming asked him, cracking a grin.

"They came up with a way to infiltrate Sato's demonstration and take the city back from him?" Tahno asked him. Ming nodded, his grin broadening.

"It involves a little bit of espionage, a diversion in flight and infiltrating some of the enemy's technology," Ming told him, gaining a weird look from the ex-waterbender. "Just come and see what they came up with. You'll get it once they've explained it all to you."

Tahno heaved a frustrated breath, but didn't argue with the ex-earthbender, instead following him inwards without saying a word.

XoXoX

Before leaving the South Pole, Noatak spoke with the spirit of the region, the one that had helped retrieve the young Avatar's Polar Bear dog, and had been impersonated by another to have Korra lured to the Spirit World. He asked the spirit if he knew anything about the spirit that might have impersonated him, or which one was working with Hiroshi Sato in his plans. The spirit told him what he knew—which wasn't much—and then told him there was another spirit he knew of that might be more resourceful than he. A spirit that _might_ know who was working the strings of Hiroshi's plans.

_You will want to seek out Hei Bai, the spirit of the Earth Kingdom forest near Senlin Village_.

The spirit of the South Pole had given him directions on where to find Hei Bai before he left the region to head back to Republic City, told him that the panda spirit should still reside in the forest that he had inhabited for some thousands of years. Noatak had thanked the spirit for the information before taking off.

Hei Bai was indeed harder to track down then he once believed. The forest that was his territory covered a vast area, much of which had grown back from its burned state during the Fire Nation's occupation of Earth Kingdom territories. But eventually Noatak managed to discover the panda spirit—with the help of another spirit, beautiful Princess Yue of the moon.

She had shone light on a particular grove that evening as he approached the spot the panda spirit called home. The beam of light showed him the way, with Hei Bai waiting there for him when he arrived.

"Great Hei Bai," Noatak greeted the spirit. "I was told by another spirit that you might be able to help me find some answers I'm seeking. I'm searching for the identity of the spirit that is working with one man named Hiroshi Sato." Hei Bai acknowledged his words with intelligence shining in those ancient, docile appearing dark eyes of his. He spoke not a word to the former Equalist leader, but instead provided him a vision.

The vision would answer all the questions Noatak was searching for.

XoXoX

Ming led the former waterbender to the underground chamber where he last overheard the plans for the diversion being discussed. Before Tahno entered the chamber, Ming wished him the best of luck and then left him alone to enter the space by himself.

Tahno expected there to be a big group gathered together, heavily concentrating on developing their plans, but was surprised and alarmed to find the place to be pretty quiet. Devoid of the airbending master and his sister, and many of Ishio's civilian operatives, the only ones present were Korra, who was busy trying to stifle her laughter, Mako, who was frowning and also caught in a conversation with his boss, Ishio, who had a few of Lin Beifong's officers present by his side.

"I was expecting a larger party," Tahno commented upon entry, bringing most gazes in his direction. "Heard that plans to take down Sato were in the works—did I miss out on everything?"

Mako lightened up upon seeing the ex-waterbender, although restraining his expressed relief at seeing his return. "Yeah, things just wrapped up a little while ago. Tenzin and Kya went off to inform their brother of our plans, while some of Ishio's people went along with a few of Chief Beifong's metalbenders to investigate Asami's company for the biplanes she said were hidden in warehouses on the premises. They're planning to use every accounted for biplane that can be piloted for an aerial assault on Hiroshi's mecha and the confiscated airships under his control. In the meantime…we're supposed to stay here until just before the demonstration starts." That frown from before crept back onto his face.

"Is an air attack their only tactic?" Tahno asked him, remembering what Ming vaguely told him earlier. Mako shook his head.

"After Tenzin and Kya left, one of Ishio's spies spotted a few of Sato's people out here—probably searching for our whereabouts, I suspect," Mako told him. "A few people from the civilian force, with the aide of a couple officers, managed to ambush Sato's people and take them captive. Their Equalist gear was confiscated from them, and—along with the gear they already managed to acquire beforehand—it was put to good use by a few of Beifong's officers and well-equipped civilians to attempt to take down, or take over, some of Hiroshi's giant mecha roaming the city streets. The objective, I guess, is to get at least a few under our control and use them to attack some of the others still under Hiroshi's control, as well as create a diversion with them during the demonstration so we can better our chances of getting Bo, Asami, and your teammate Shaozu out of Hiroshi's clutches safely."

"Did the old airbender have plans for us then as well—or are we just supposed to hang out down here while all the action takes place?" Tahno asked him, irritable at the thought of having to be sidelined for yet another mission. Mako's frown deepened, and Korra's laughter reached breaking point. It poured out of her in uncontrollable bouts, to the point where she was physically convulsing, tears streaming down her face. Both boys eyed her with very different reactions. "What the hell's so funny?"

"Tenzin's got plans for us," Mako informed him, looking uncomfortable as he side-glanced briefly in Korra's direction. "We're supposed to go to the demonstration—undercover—as spectators. While Commander Bumi's people and my boss's people are keeping Hiroshi and his followers busy, we're supposed to find a way to make a grab for Bo, Asami and Shaozu and get them out of there before Hiroshi can catch up to us."

Tahno noticed that Korra was still caught in her bouts of laughter. "What does she find so funny about this?"

Mako turned an uncomfortable shade of red before saying, "Would you have any problems…ahem—raiding through Asami's wardrobe?"

XoXoX

Dawn was breaking on Commander Bumi's deck. Lin was up early, standing at the railing looking out at sea. Usually disciplined and in control, she was currently anxious, her nerves getting the best of her.

According to the last report Bumi's telegraph operator translated, Hiroshi was holding some form of public event sometime later that afternoon. News since then hadn't filtered in much; the vessel was a few miles south of Republic City's outer limits, and in order to keep their location off Hiroshi's radar, communications between the two had been kept at a minimum.

So it was quite a shock when Tenzin and his sister showed up out of nowhere on the airbending master's skybison, Oogi, and landed on the launching platform. General Iroh was just about to join Lin when they showed up.

Before Lin could question their presence, Tenzin beat her to the punch. "Lin, can you show me to my brother? We need to speak with him about something important."

"Care to tell me what's going on, Tenzin?" Lin asked as she led the way.

"Is something urgent happening in the city?" Iroh spoke up. Tenzin addressed his presence with a quick nod before turning his eyes towards the metalbender once more.

"We managed to get Korra out of Hiroshi's custody and towards safety," Kya told them. "In the process, however, a few of our own were captured, namely Asami, Bolin, and a friend of Tahno's. We believe Hiroshi plans to use them in place of Korra during his demonstration this afternoon. We're hoping to create a diversion so we can rescue them—and hopefully put a stop to Hiroshi's plan, once and for all."

"So—the former waterbender was correct, the Avatar was in Hiroshi's captive," Lin noted. Tenzin nodded in agreement, recalling his personal confrontation with Korra and Mako about news involving the ex-waterbender, Koh and the Northern Water Tribe before his departure with Kya.

"So far—most of Tahno's clues have been confirmed," Tenzin stated. "Which gives more validity towards Hiroshi's goal."

"So—what were you planning to do to create this diversion?" Iroh asked him.

"We were hoping you two would still be up to manning a couple biplanes and launch an aerial assault on Hiroshi and his mecha," Tenzin told them. "I also recently learned that my brother's been keeping a few more biplanes on board this craft—and I'd like to get them set into action as well."

"Yes—there are about six additional planes onboard besides the ones we flew to the South Pole," Iroh informed him.

Lin let slip a confident grin. "And it's time to test out the new runway onboard this vessel, I'd say."

"Liftoff for biplanes takeoff requires a runway," Tenzin noted, looking around the deck. "I don't see anything large enough to launch a plane off of."

"That's because you're seeing it with the railings raised, Tenzin," Lin told him. "The railings are lowered when launches are in progress. There are also panels that extend outward to expand the runway surface when it's in use."

"From what Bumi's been telling me," Iroh spoke up. "They've tested several models out over the past several months by converting a few other already existing United Forces vessels and ships in development into flat-top runway, launch-capable aircraft vessels. In the process, the design for this prototype was designed, the first vessel of its type with this intended use in mind. Miss Sato helped create a workable design, while the Commander and a few of his best and brightest technicians hammered out the rest of the details to create this final product."

Kya was looking down the length of the ship in both directions. "Is it going to be long enough for takeoff?"

"The vessel is equipped with a _catapult_ system—so to speak," Lin replied. "The wheels are held in place on the platform while the engine is warming up. The platform is launched forward to increase the plane's speed when it is ready for takeoff; power from the engine provides enough propulsion for the initial launch and takeoff."

"Your brother, the Commander, has been having us practice launching and landing sequences a lot while we were stationed in the South Pole and in some of our travel time back towards Republic City," Iroh added. "He wanted the two of us to perfect landing the biplanes under any circumstance. His own biplane operators onboard this ship are already equipped with the know-how, and gave us both lessons in how to do it successfully."

"What kind of weapons are the biplanes equipped with?" Kya asked. "I assume they're equipped with_ something. _Considering my brother's involved in this, and the fact they would be useless without some form of defense mechanism—they have to have some form of weaponry."

"Each is equipped with several missiles, contained in an updated compartment designed to be safer in design from the previous models to prevent malfunctions and accidental explosions," Iroh said.

Lin added, "Each has updated weaponry specified by its initial operator. For metalbenders, like myself, it has a system built into it similar to the metal cable coils employed in the standard metalbender officer uniform's design, which can be extended and retracted at the user's will. The design on these isn't perfect—but it's sufficient for my purposes."

"For firebenders, there's a flame launcher for aiming fireballs with better precision and distance at their intended targets," Iroh stated. "As for general operators: the designs of the bola releases have been updated so that they're more efficient in combat than in the previous design. The commander also said that the plane's designs were modified from Sato's originals for better operation in flight and maneuverability. I noticed these changes when we took our first flight towards the South Pole."

"Will the biplanes have enough firepower to distract Hiroshi long enough for our people to retrieve the trio he's holding captive, and possibly do some critical damage to his forces in the process?" Kya asked them.

"If the planes run out of firepower, we'll have our bending as backup," Iroh assured her with a confident grin.

"Lin, can you lead us to my brother? I'd like to discuss the details of our plan with him before we launch this diversion," Tenzin said to the metalbender. She nodded, showing them to the Commander's onboard station where he was currently overseeing ship operations.

XoXoX

Daylight peeked up on the horizon, the line dividing ocean from sky from a view at the shoreline of Republic City. Tarrlok was taking in the view, remembering times gone past of his life in the sprawling metropolis, memories of his first stepping ashore in this promising gem his young, aspiring mind once believed he could make a difference in. He remembered his father's tales from when he was a child, how Yakone told he and his brother, Noatak, about his time as the lord of the underground of Republic City's crime syndicate during their secret bloodbending lessons. He remembered, with distaste, how Yakone wanted Noatak and himself to hone their bloodbending skills so they could follow in their father's footsteps, reclaim what he felt was stolen from him and get vengeance with Avatar Aang for his _unjustifiable punishment_ for stripping his waterbending from him.

When Tarrlok first stepped foot in this city before him, he'd wanted to make his mark in the sprawling metropolis while avoiding following his father's example. How badly that had proven to go, as even in his attempt to play the city's savior from the invasion inflicted on it by his own brother's forces—Tarrlok still embodied his father's presence in his own actions, becoming a power-driven figure no better that Yakone had been. In death he was able to reflect on his mistakes, and wish to atone for them.

As had his brother, Noatak, the man who once terrorized the city hidden behind a mask and another identity with the title of _Amon_. Noatak too had been inflicted by their father's need for conquest and control, having a worthy cause in mind, but the plans were corrupted by familial disaster and a growing tendency to seek power. Noatak was just in thinking there needed to be focus on equality amongst benders and nonbenders, that peace between the two factions of the population needed to be reached, but their blood was tainted too deeply for either to be likable candidates to take on that job.

Now, all they could do was atone for their own sins and those of their family lineage, in hopes of cleansing their spirits of their ill deeds in life.

Tarrlok was waiting there for his brother's arrival. Noatak had made it a goal to discover what their father's role in all this was, and who was playing the larger role behind the scenes. Tarrlok was certain there was another spirit pulling the strings at Hiroshi's command, acting as his secret _second in command_. And he was certain it wasn't Yakone himself, or any of the other deceased spirits that banded together to stand by Hiroshi's side.

When Noatak had returned to the city after his visit to the South Pole, he shared that sentiment and assured his younger brother that he would be the one to look into the matter. As the sun painted the structures of Air Temple Island in brilliant hues of tangerine, amber, and gold, Tarrlok was standing by, waiting for his brother's verdict.

As the sun broke from its confinement at the world's edge, he saw Noatak approaching, illuminated by a golden aura. Tarrlok went to greet him, sharing a hug with the brother that had estranged him those so many years ago when he ran off into that storm when they were merely teens.

"Did you find the answers you were looking for?" Tarrlok asked as they broke from their brotherly embrace. Noatak looked at him grimly, but with hope in his eyes.

"I learned more than I was asking for," Noatak replied. "I now know the spirit's identity—and more about Yakone as well."

"Tell me what you found out," Tarrlok said to him.

"Let's move somewhere that more secluded, and then I'll tell you everything I found out."

Tarrlok nodded, letting his older brother lead the way.

XoXoX

Noon was fast approaching, and plans for both parties were falling into place.

Lin's officers, under Ishio's guidance, searched the premises of Asami's home and company for the stored biplanes and blueprints, successfully uncovering both. In the process they kept an eye on the grounds surrounding the company, keeping a lookout for Hiroshi's followers as they constructed a makeshift _runway_ out of one of Asami's Satomobile testing tracks. While still in the clear, they unloaded the biplanes from storage, one at a time, and readied them for business, keeping their intentions sheltered by a makeshift _fence_ erected around the premises by a few of the police force's more gifted earthbenders.

All the while, citizens of the city moved along the streets almost mechanically towards the park for the demonstration, with Hiroshi's people posted all around to keep an eye on the populace to prevent uprisings. Whether in mecha, on the ground, or patrolling from the air, the Equalist presence was felt everywhere, an apprehension rising in waves from the confused and frightened public.

As a safety measure against an uprising from any still yet not captured benders in the city, Hiroshi informed his cohorts to have those unwilling to attend the event confined to their homes or lock them up with the others that were already locked away so that they could be used in the demonstration after the former businessman completed the first stage of his plan.

After Hiroshi had finished using the prison's inmates as examples of his newfound _divine_ power, he consolidated the inmate population into one wing of the compound in order to make room in another part for the citizens they captured during their first raid.

While the Equalist factions were occupied with keeping order amongst the citizens they were _herding_ towards the grounds of the demonstration, A few of Ishio's people disguised in Equalist gear got to work attempting to infiltrate and take over operations of a few of Hiroshi's patrolling mecha. They had some decent success, gaining access to at least five or six of the mechanical behemoths. In the process they managed to damage a few of them beyond repair, losing the occupant of one when the gas tank was accidently ruptured and the mecha exploded in a fury of flames.

From the mecha they managed to overtake, the original occupants were ejected, knocked out, tied up and taken underground to be confined with the rest of their cronies. The _replacements_ for operating their vacated mecha immediately took over, mimicking the actions of other mechas they observed in action in order to blend in and remain undiscovered by the enemy until the moment was right to make their strike.

While all this was going on, Korra, Mako and Tahno were busy tackling another task Tenzin had assigned them to. Korra was enjoying every minute of her role in their assignment, but the two boys were anything but pleased with theirs.

XoXoX

"Who's bright idea was it to do this again?" Tahno huffed.

"I think it was Tenzin's, actually," Korra managed between laughs.

"I have to wonder if Kya put him up to this while we were busy," Mako complained.

"Oh, come on you two babies—it's not that bad!" Korra stated.

"Says the one who actually gets to wear real pants," Mako grumbled.

"You've gotta admit it though, Fireboy—you have nice legs, and it's a real pity you hide them most of the time," Tahno commented.

"I have no comment for that," Mako remarked. "You just _had _to grab the one outfit in her wardrobe that would fit either one of us that comes with leggings."

"My legs are a little slimmer than yours—you would've shredded them if you even attempted to put them on," Tahno commented, adding, "They barely fit me as it is."

Korra was having fun watching the two boys complain about their unusual…predicament. After the ex-bender reunited with the group after his absence, the trio—with Ishio acting as their guide—was led up into the premises of the Sato Estate from the underground entrance.

Along the way Ishio told them that Kami insisted on going with, that he'd bring the young teenage girl up once they were finished with their wardrobe _makeovers._ She couldn't sit by and not get in on the action, Ishio informed them, and Kami hoped to find her mother in the crowd in the process. None of the trio argued about the unexpected addition to the group; their minds were concentrated on other matters. Mako did, however, inform his superior to tell the girl that she needed to behave if she was coming along. Ishio assured him he'd make sure of that before sending her along.

He parted company from the trio once they reached the house; it was discovered that a secret, underground tunnel led up to the entrance of the former workshop, one they were certain even Asami herself was unaware of.

The three of them then hesitantly made their way up into Asami's house, going from one room to the next on the second storey looking for Asami's wardrobe. They found it on the third try. While the boys were busy reluctantly searching through Asami's things for something to wear as a part of their cover, Korra took care of her own—dressing in something one of Ishio's men provided for her to wear. Surprisingly to her, it was a good fit, and rather comfortable. But then—Korra was more comfortable in casual wear anyways, never taking too highly to dressing up and being too—girly.

As the two boys continued their search, Korra investigated the rest of the adjoining room for a few accessories. She came across Asami's personal vanity, with drawers filled with perfumes, face paint, and hair care products. She grabbed for a few random shades of eye shadow, an application brush, some lipstick, a couple combs, hair gel and a few other hair accessories. She threw all the accessories in a bag and then went to check in with the guys' progress. It had been upon her return that Korra burst into an uncontrollable bout of laughter.

When she came back in, Korra found Mako wearing a long sleeveless dress in maroon that ran down to just below the knee on him, with a side slit that ran to his mid-thigh. The dress looked like it came out of Asami's eveningwear selection, and the firebender looked awkward wearing it. From the looks of it, Tahno aimed for something more from Asami's everyday business wear collection, donned in a long-sleeved, deep rouge top with scarlet cuffs and collar over an undershirt and skirt, both a maroon hue. Under the skirt he wore leggings that looked a little tight, and his feet were scrunched into a pair of knee-high black boots.

Korra managed to contain her laughter after she got used to the sight, and remembered the bag of _goodies_ she'd grabbed from Asami's vanity.

"Now it's time to make you guys…er—girls look more authentic," Korra managed with a stifled grin. She held up the bag, getting two uncertain looks in its direction. Tahno grabbed for it hastily and began digging through it, eying the products as he pulled them out one by one. "Need help putting it on?"

"I've never dressed in drag before, but I can apply my own makeup," Tahno remarked peevishly. A sudden grin sprouted on his face as his hand ran into something long, silky—with fine strands that tickled his fingertips. "Looks like Korra found something to make you look even better, Fireboy." The ex-bender looked at Mako mischievously, holding up a handful of hair extensions. "If you're gonna look the part, you're going to need some longer hair."

"Hair extensions? Asami actually had some of those?" Mako exclaimed as the ex-bender drew closer to him with the fake hair in hand.

"Probably uses them to create extra volume on those bad hair days, or special occasions," Tahno commented, trying to arrange the bundle in a presentable fashion. "There's enough here to make it look real, but I think you're going to need a hat."

Korra watched the ex-bender artfully attempt to bring the firebender's look together, looking at him oddly on the hair extension detail. "You seem to know your stuff about hair extensions, pretty boy. Use them yourself or something?"

"Maybe once in my life, but I've never really needed them," Tahno informed her, a hint of irritation in his voice. "Hey, Uhvatar—why don't you go finish getting all guy-ed out? Your look's not convincing just yet."

"I'll go do that and let you _ladies _finish up," Korra remarked, covering a grin before she made her exit from the room.

"Are the hair extensions and the makeup really necessary?" Mako asked the ex-bender once the young Avatar was out of the room. Tahno looked at him, smiling faintly.

"If you don't want Sato to spot us in the crowd, we've gotta make it work as much as possible," Tahno told him. "You're androgynous enough to pass as either with the right work done, but without the makeup, Mako—you're a dead giveaway." He grabbed a couple eye shadow compacts and a brush. "If you want it to look right—I'll handle the application. Looking like an ugly chick in bad makeup is worse than looking like a dude in a dress."

"Go for it. You know more about this stuff then I do," Mako replied, smiling awkwardly.

"Yeah, only more than you. I only ever used eyeliner to enhance the image. Whatever I learned about makeup application came from a persistent ex-girlfriend who insisted on having _me_ apply hers for her before I broke it off with her," Tahno replied. "After I finish with our faces, we're going to have to do some padding. The look won't look convincing without, um…the appearance of...ahem—breasts." He opened the compact, revealing a powder eye shadow in a soft pink shade. He rubbed the brush tip against the compacted powder, and then got to work.

XoXoX

Through head pain Asami was only half aware of the goings on around her. She recalled her resolute attitude at continuing to deny her father the information he craved, and punishment he inflicted on her when she _misbehaved._ When Hiroshi gave up on obtaining answers from her, he'd moved on to Bolin or Shaozu, which—she wasn't sure. She recalled the pained screams that followed the lines of questioning, the crackle of electricity as Hiroshi applied his punishment for no response.

Time slipped and slid from that point. Asami slipped out of consciousness for a period of time she couldn't figure the length of; when she reemerged from her own mental darkness, the atmosphere was still the same—still dimly lit and drab. But that could be from a lack of a link to the outside world, to air, sunlight—

At one point she heard voices nearby. She came to in the middle of a conversation; so much of what was said and who was saying didn't make much sense. She could distinguish that Hiroshi was one of the speakers, but the other sounded unfamiliar.

"...You know who to look for?" Hiroshi.

"Your description is more than enough for me to work with." The other unidentified voice.

"Keep an eye on the crowds for them then, especially that one in particular."

"I'll watch for somebody that _catches_ my eye."

"You should be able to discover that fairly easily, considering your _normal_ circumstances."

"I'm positive I won't have any trouble with the task."

"Good."

After that her awareness broke off once more, dwelling in the realms of darkness for a time.

She fell again into a half-aware state of mind that allowed her to feel the hands that grabbed her eventually, the clinking of chains as the trio was unchained from the wall and dragged from their confines to elsewhere. She heard the gentle lapping of water, felt the rocking sensation of being onboard a water-faring vessel, and then eventually the solidity of firm ground once more. Her consciousness faded for some time more before she became aware of her body being thrust against a heavy surface, forced down in a fashion that would've made it difficult to get up if she was in the frame of mind to do so.

She heard soft groans coming from beside her, a voice softly murmuring something almost incoherent. Asami concentrated on the murmuring, trying to make sense of the words.

"Bro will get us outta this, you'll see." It was Bolin's voice she heard, a reassurance slipping from his twitching lips. Asami woke up enough to take in everything surrounding her now, including the young earthbender beside her. She noticed his eyes had dark bags under them, his lids hung heavy over his usually vibrant evergreen eyes. He was slightly bruised across his cheeks and forehead, a cut at the corner of his mouth bleeding a thin trickle downwards, but he wore a smile, and his mouth was speaking words of hope. _So Bolin._ "Hiroshi's not gonna win this—I can feel it, Asami."

Asami felt her lips twist into a smile in response. She could taste blood on her own lips as she did so. "I believe you," She responded hoarsely. She could see his green eyes come to life hearing her speak. "I believe you, Bo."

Her attention slipped away from him and towards everything else around her. She was just realizing she was at the center of everything, on a platform in front of a crowd of many anxious onlookers. In a few eyes she saw flashes of excitement, anticipation, but a majority were filled with worry, dread—trepidation.

In the next moment her father's booming voice cut all concentration on everything else and drew it only towards him. From what she could recall growing up, her father had been a soft-spoken, sincere man not caring to draw attention to himself. But what she was seeing, witnessing with all her senses, right now was a different facet of her father's self—a personality he'd buried so deep he never bothered to reveal it in she or her mother's presence.

Hiroshi Sato seemed nothing like the father she once knew—once respected, looked up to, loved. It saddened her to no longer see a semblance of the man she knew her father to be, but it angered her to see what he'd become. Especially now, as he made his announcement to all of Republic City about what his plans were for his _insolent daughter,_ her two companions, and the rest of the world.

XoXoX

The shoes were the most uncomfortable things Mako ever had the_ pleasure_ to walk in. His feet were a toe too long for them, but somehow he'd managed to squish them in and walk. He was certain that Tahno was in the same boat as he; the firebender heard soft curses under the ex-bender's breath from time to time. Korra, on the other hand—she was enjoying herself. She didn't look uncomfortable at all with her hair stuffed inside a hat atop her head, the visor obscuring her ocean blues.

Kami was tagging along with them, saying not a thing or showing any signs that she found their garb humorous. Her eyes were on the crowds, supposedly searching for somebody—her mother probably. Somewhere along the way the young girl parted company from them without a word, leaving the trio to continue on without a second thought.

Even though Tahno claimed he was only good with eyeliner, he did wonders handling their makeup and adjusting the final touches to Mako's attire. Firstly, it was the ex-bender's decision to cover the firebender's muscular arms with a long-sleeved jacket that appropriately went with the rest of the ensemble, addressing the hat issue and the hair extensions with a nice, workable hat choice.

While Korra had waited for them to get done, the ex-bender managed to bring the firebender in for one last passionate exchange before he did the final touches with lipstick and they were ready. Mako recalled Tahno whispering something under his breath as they pulled apart, his face still near the firebender's.

"_Wish I could keep this going, Fireboy—Mako—but when this is all over and Hiroshi's back to rotting in his cell again—let Korra know I want my bending restored. So at least when this is all over—I'll have one of the two things I want back."_

"_I hope it won't be too late by the time we accomplish all that."_

_Tahno moved farther away from him, startled look on his face. "For what?"_

"_I know that this spiritual ability's killing you, Tahno. I hope you don't wait until it's too late, because…regardless of what happens—I don't want to lose you."_

The expression that crossed the ex-waterbender's face just then had been purely tragic. But Tahno had recovered quickly and finished up before they headed out with Korra. Thinking about all that had built up between them since Tahno's suicide attempt a month and a half back—it's what kept Mako's mind off how sore his feet were walking in those killer boots on his feet, how ridiculous he felt walking around wearing clothes from Asami's wardrobe. Kept him from dwelling on the unease that continued to build while they grew closer to where everyone was assembled. And it kept him from over thinking what they'd have to do to get Bolin and the other two out of Hiroshi's grasp and hightail it before his cohorts could catch up to them.

It distracted him from thinking about the cue they'd have to watch for before they made their strike, and the hope that things would turn out okay in the end—even end up as planned. Mako knew well that things didn't always go according to plan, and he didn't want to dwell on the possible things that _could happen _that might be opposite of what he wanted.


	18. Chapter 18

_Made a few minor edits, hence why this was reposted._

_Anyways, enjoy—_

XoXoX

Tahno was certain that Mako's feet would be as sore as his would likely be by the end of the day after they were done with all of this. The trek from the undisclosed location underground to the place where they managed to mingle with the crowd was long, especially in tight boots like these were. He knew with certainty that he would _never_ wear women's boots again.

Along the way, Tahno recalled having eyes on him. From time to time the feeling would be felt, but for a while he couldn't find a source. Was it somebody who figured out they were guys disguised in women's clothing who were staring oddly at the spectacle? Did one of them—him in particular—catch somebody's fancy and, as a result, was following him?

It wasn't until they were getting close to the park, where the demonstration was supposedly being held, that he discovered a possible source.

It looked to be a boy from one of the water tribes, with shoulder-length black hair partially tied back behind his head and looked to be no older than seventeen or eighteen. His azure eyes were on him when their eyes crossed paths; Tahno knew with certainty that the water tribe boy was watching him, because when he caught sight of the boy's face, he noticed a grin form as soon as his icy blues met the boy's own azure set.

He wasn't sure what it was about the water tribe boy or his consistent stare, but Tahno got a discomforting feeling from him. He tried to shrug it off though, as he had other things occupying his thoughts.

Tahno's mind was working on overdrive, consumed with worry, doubt, hope, apprehension—plus he was constantly working over Koh's riddles in his head, trying to figure it all out. On top of that, he dealt with the melancholy of severing the connection he and the firebender had formed so that Korra could reclaim her place by Mako's side. Tahno didn't know where he'd stand in regards to Mako, his friends and everyone he'd associated with since he made that fateful jump off a bridge ledge—he could only hope he wouldn't end up feeling worse off than he had beforehand.

His mind also lingered on the fact that his connection with Ming, his deceased boyfriend and closest friend in life, was nearing its conclusion. It panged him painfully that he wouldn't see Ming for a very long time after everything was said and done. Almost as much as witnessing his friend's _suicide_ had.

Thinking about Ming brought him back to Koh's riddles—and his mother. He remembered his father telling him that Kanani's new husband had been possessed by one of Hiroshi's spiritual cronies; what name did he mention—Ozai maybe?

Recalling the name brought back a few things he'd learned in history during classes in school. The hundred-year war, the reclaim on the throne for Firelord made by the former Firelord, Zuko, and Avatar Aang's final showdown with the Phoenix King before the war officially ended. The Phoenix King, who became the first-ever in recorded history to have his bending stripped, who'd formerly been Firelord Ozai—

Ozai; former Firelord—stripped of his firebending—Ozai. Ozai had possessed Unrak, and now was holding his mother—

What could Hiroshi possibly be planning for his mother in the Northern Water Tribe? How did Hiroshi know about her at all? That startling realization only added to the list of other burdens he had on his mind. He started thinking over the possibilities for Kanani's involvement when he felt a tug on his arm. Startled, he looked over to notice Mako was trying to grab his attention.

"There they are," Mako whispered in his ear, eyes directed towards something. Tahno's eyes followed their course, spotting the trio, bound and chained on the raised platform, right by Hiroshi's side. The three looked haggard, bruises lightly decorating their faces, lips cracked and bleeding. Shaozu looked like he was only half there, while the other two had grim hope on their mildly aware expressions. Asami's verdant eyes shone with hatred as she aimed their dagger-like glare in Hiroshi's direction.

Hiroshi's attention was not on the trio, but instead drawn towards the grim gathering crowd. By his side and near each of the captives stood a gathering of Hiroshi's Equalist garbed cohorts, standing there waiting intently to listen to what their leader had to say, or watching the three hostages to ensure they couldn't escape. At his other side, separate of his followers, stood the form of a radiantly beautiful woman, a woman who seemed vaguely familiar to him. Not unlike—

—Asami Sato. Her mother—it _was_ Asami's mother standing by Hiroshi's side up there. Most everyone else wouldn't even notice her existence, but he did. She was indeed dead—invisible to all those around but a very selective few.

"Who's the woman beside Hiroshi?" Korra asked Mako in a whisper. Tahno overheard her, remembering that she was capable of seeing spirits in much the same way as he. She probably didn't realize that the woman was a spirit; that thought was validated when Mako shrugged in response.

"Don't know." Mako breathed. "I don't see one."

"Her mother," Tahno answered for him. Korra looked at him strangely, her shaded ocean shallows connecting with his.

"Huh?" Korra uttered.

"_Her_—mother," Tahno clarified by looking on stage, directly at Asami. Whether Korra got the message or not, she didn't bring it up further. In their preceding silence he got back to thinking about the spirit woman by Hiroshi's side, wondering if Asami's mother had been working with him all this time and he'd been wrong to think otherwise.

XoXoX

Ming could only watch from the sidelines of the demonstration at a distance, as the living's presence always interfered with his own ability to be present—at least in the state he wanted to be in anyways. He barely heard what Sato was saying onstage. While Ming struggled to hear Hiroshi, he was startled by an unexpected source shaking his shoulder all of a sudden. He twitched, doing a quick turn to face the culprit.

"Do you know where that boyfriend of yours is in the crowd?" It was Tarrlok, with an insistent tone to his voice. "Is he out here somewhere with the Avatar? I need to speak with him—both of them—immediately."

"I think he's around here somewhere," Ming replied, shaking the ex-Councilman's hand from his shoulder. "The firebender, Mako and Avatar Korra are with him. But you'll have a tough time finding them in this crowd."

"Oh, why would that be?" Tarrlok asked.

"They resorted to doing some cross-dressing to mingle in with the crowd and remain unnoticed," Ming replied, a faint smile playing on his lips. "What's so urgent?"

"I'll tell you while you point them out me," Tarrlok replied. Ming looked up when he noticed they were joined by yet another presence, one that startled him.

"_A-Amon_," Ming gasped, his eyes wide. "W-what—"

"Don't tell me you're going to react like your silly boyfriend did every time I confronted him," Noatak looked at the ex-earthbender sternly. Ming shook for a moment, but managed to straighten himself out.

"N-no, my feelings about what you did aren't nearly as strong as Tahno's," Ming replied. "But—what's going on—what're you doing here?"

"Show us where your boyfriend is, and I'll tell you on the way." Noatak said.

"Okay." Ming managed.

He looked around the crowd, trying to pinpoint where the trio could've gone, and then headed in the most likely direction. Along the way Noatak informed the former Wolfbats earthbender about his newest developments with Hei Bai. By the time Noatak was finished, Ming was looking at him, appalled.

"That's some serious shit," Ming stated. "Why don't you leave talking to him up to me? He'll come if I ask him to. He might not be quite so willing if you two just show up, and this is something I agree he _needs_ to hear."

"We'll watch for your approach from the edge of the crowd," Tarrlok replied. Ming nodded before going in search of his friend.

XoXoX

Meelo and Ikki played out in the snow in front of their grandmother's home like nothing was amiss. Jinora stood on the sidelines, watching them. Ah, the joys of youth, being oblivious to the everyday disasters that could be happening around them, impacting their very lives as they gleefully built snow creatures.

Unfortunately, Jinora couldn't claim to be blinded by the same innocence as her siblings. She was still young, an eleven year old girl really, but she was wise beyond her short years, the quiet and studious eldest daughter of Tenzin and Pema's four children.

As she watched her brother and sister in play, her thoughts were on her father, aunt, the handsome firebender and his handsome younger brother, their pretty friend, Asami Sato—and the poor former waterbender that Mako rescued sometime back.

Tahno. She thought about him, how sad he'd looked when she saw him on that first day, his despairing cries as he dealt with a multitude of nightmares that had haunted him, and the episode on the beach—

Her face went warm when she thought about those days where she was quietly spying on he and Asami training on the training platform back home. How they glistened with sweat as they threw punches at each other under the bright intense midday sun. She recalled seeing him progress from that demoralized lump cooped up in his _room _into somebody more confident in himself again as he gracefully twisted and turned to avoid Asami's maneuvers during their sessions. How his hair bent stylishly to every movement he achieved, muscles in his arms flexing as they twitched and thrust forward and back with the fluidity of water—

Not much for news had made its way down to the South Pole about events occurring back in Republic City. She only knew what she saw before her family's departure, and that Korra was supposedly in Hiroshi's custody. Jinora was certain that she was—hopefully _had been_; she hoped that Mako, Tahno and the rest of them had somehow gotten her away from Hiroshi by now.

"Pabu's king of the snow ferrets!" Ikki shouted, drawing Jinora from her thoughts towards her excitable younger siblings. She noticed that the snow creatures they were creating were indeed ferrets—or at least resembled them from the craftwork of two young children's minds. Ikki was busy placing Bolin's fire ferret friend atop one of the larger _snow ferrets_, to which he obediently stayed after setting him there. Ikki smiled delightfully, honoring the _king of the snow ferrets._

Before their departure to the South Pole, Bolin put his faithful ferret friend, Pabu, in the hands of Jinora and her siblings to watch after him while he was gone. Jinora promised to keep an eye on him, make sure his fire ferret was safe in her siblings' hands. She remembered how grateful he was by the smile that sprouted on his face as she made the promise, his tearful farewell before he hopped into the passenger seat of the biplane and took off.

"Jinora, can you get your sister and brother for me? It's lunchtime," Jinora turned to see her grandmother standing there in the doorway of her abode. The once lovely—still lovely, even in her old age—Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, beloved of the last airbending Avatar, her grandfather and Korra's predecessor.

Jinora gave a nod in acknowledgement before saying, "Sure, gran-gran, I'll be happy to do that for you." Grandma Katara smiled warmly at her before heading back indoors. Jinora instantly from there got to work doing what was requested of her. "Ikki, Meelo—lunch's ready!"

XoXoX

Thinking about Asami's mother's spirit up there beside the former businessman on the platform brought Tahno back to pondering over the riddles Koh insisted he figure out. He remembered that the Face Stealer had told him to think of Kuruk's tale as a metaphor—but for what?

An arrogant man who went out of his way to prove he was the best, using his special abilities for personal, selfish purposes, holding contests with other benders to prove his strength over theirs. Tahno remembered that he was the last waterbending Avatar before Korra, that in some ways they shared some traits. He remembered Mako telling him about what the spirit said to Korra during their confrontation at the festival—how she, along with her past incarnations—had abused their bending talents. Tahno hadn't witnessed the specific instances that the spirit could be referring to in regards to Korra, but he could see her using her bending aggressively. He had done that too—before it was stripped from him anyways.

Tahno figured that Korra fit into the riddle in some way, that Kuruk's tale was partially referencing Korra's own headstrong need to rely on her bending to solve her problems, but he knew it went deeper than that. Arrogance, being a show-off—superior—it went beyond Korra and himself. As his eyes roamed the stage, landing on Hiroshi, he felt like the metaphor was partially referencing the former businessman as well.

Then there was the second half of Kuruk's tale that Koh told him later. How Kuruk sought revenge with the Face Stealer for taking his beloved from him. How the past Avatar spent the rest of his life wasting time trying to accomplish that goal, dying a failure. As he thought about Hiroshi, he again saw reflections of the tale referencing the former businessman. After his wife's murder, he sought revenge on all benders by seeking an end to bending as a whole. That was his current goal, Tahno knew. That was the goal they were currently attempting to thwart.

The other pieces of the puzzle—karma, fire, and anger—they could all link into Hiroshi's plans as well. And thinking back to that thought from earlier—about the former Firelord, Ozai—Tahno could see that maybe it was a shared collective for most of Hiroshi's spiritual helpers. From what he'd learned from the ex-Councilman and his monstrous brother—their father, a former crimelord named Yakone, was involved in the plot as well, and that would tie in to the theory as well.

Hiroshi, Ozai, Yakone—they all had a common goal, a reason to seek revenge against the benders or citizens of the city—or the Avatar herself, or her former incarnations. They were dealt a personal blow in their lifetimes that lead to their downfall; giving them enough reason in their minds to seek revenge against the members of society they felt had wronged them.

Koh, while they were discussing karma, had made a point of telling him to focus on how it affects Korra, Mako, Asami, and Hiroshi. He got the part with Hiroshi—but the other three? How do they tie in? And then there was that latest bit Koh told him about during their last confrontation, the riddle about the jewel—

Tahno looked onstage, at the trio bound there beside the former businessman, and then looked beyond Hiroshi himself—noticing for the first time the contraption right behind him.

It was that behemoth mecha that Sato practically _excavated_ from his former underground workshop that night the whole Hiroshi ordeal came to light. The one he took off in while they were coughing on the smoke screen the former businessman used in his escape. It had looked intimidating the first time he'd seen it in the workshop. It seemed even more intimidating now, as he got a strong sense of what that contraption was built for—what it was capable of doing.

_With the help of some behemoth mecha of his he's been having success with the procedure. From what my informant witnessed—he stripped several of his captives bending from them right there on stage. They put on an elaborate display with the prisoners onstage—ordering them to try to use their bending afterwards—but…none of them seemed able to._

Mako's boss had said that the contraption was used in demonstrations involving the arrested triad prisoners Hiroshi managed to get his hands on. Had used it to successfully strip them of their bending. There had been many witnesses—one of Ishio's own informants being an eyewitness. Staring at that behemoth mecha, Tahno had a deep sinking feeling that machine was capable of what Hiroshi claimed it could do, but—how?

_A spirit's helping him, _a little voice inside his head told him, _a spirit that shares the same visions as Hiroshi._ Could Asami's mother, as a result of her violent death, have been corrupted into something that was powerful enough in her afterlife to be capable of aiding her husband in his goals? Could that be the irony in Mrs. Sato's murder? She died by fire, and would seek her vengeance—with her husband's aid—with fire?

_That vision of Republic City burning to ashes would seem to suggest so—_

Was Asami's mother the answer to the riddle? But—what about the riddle involving the jewel? Tahno stopped pondering over the theory when he felt a pair of eyes on him.

It wasn't the sense of a casual passing glance; this felt like somebody was _deliberately _staring at him. Tahno snapped his head around, quickly looking around to find an apparent source. At first it seemed to only be a product of his imagination until he spotted _him_.

The young water tribe guy who'd been watching him earlier as the trio approached the park; from across the way, past rows of others in the crowd, the boy was standing there, his azure eyes glued to the ex-bender. Tahno decided to return it by making it a glacial glare with his icy blues in hopes of intimidating the guy. He thought it might deter the other young man in his _staring contest_, but it only seemed to bring the curl of a grin to the water tribe boy's mouth. Tahno's attention was forced away from the water tribe boy's stare, as Hiroshi was beginning to speak.

"The masterpiece of machinery you see behind me—I was given divine inspiration in its creation. I have long held the belief that bending should be cleansed from this world, and one spirit gave me the inspiration over the past few years on how to accomplish that goal. Hence, I began creating some of my greatest works which are far better than my well-known inventions like the Satomobile—flying contraptions like my biplanes, my ground fighting manned vehicles, my mecha tanks—towards my latest, greatest of them all, the technology to strip a bender of their bending."

Hiroshi kept looking back at his gargantuan mecha almost lovingly, Tahno noticed, and it kind of creeped him out. That—and how the former businessman kept looking at the woman beside him, the supposed spirit of Mrs. Sato, Hiroshi's wife.

"Through me and some _spiritual inspiration_—it is capable of making a bender incapable of using their abilities. It goes beyond what even Amon could do—what he did was block a particular chakra that, when the right spiritual intervention was done, could be reversed. My method, however—it promises to be permanent. My goal is to spread that permanence."

_Spiritual inspiration_—did he mean his wife? And chakra blocking, huh? A certain spiritual intervention could reverse it—Hiroshi must be referring to what Korra was capable of doing to fix a lot of Amon's debending victims, what she eventually intended to do for him. Tahno didn't like the sound of the word _permanent_ in Hiroshi's method—

"I wanted to start out my demonstration by making an example of the Avatar using my technique, but my three prisoners up here by my side made sure she got away. It's a pity they were allowed to do that—but really, it turned out to be a blessing for me, as I actually have a purpose for all three of them."

Yeah—she got away, and was standing by his side opposite of Mako, Tahno mentally noted. But—what does Hiroshi mean by having a purpose for his three current captives?

"You see—I have a few pieces I wish to accomplish that will add up to my ultimate goal. My ultimate goal is to take my masterpiece of technology from stripping one bender at a time to doing it on a massive scale—groups at a time, whole vicinities—villages, cities, even nations—so that I can go about doing it in a more efficient fashion. I also want to make it so that I won't have to rely on my machinery to channel the required energy to strip a bender of their bending—I want to be able to do so on a massive scale at my _own_ hand."

_That _thoughtonly made the unsettling feeling of the word _permanent_ seem worse in Tahno's mind.

Hiroshi approached where his three captives were, standing over Shaozu, as he seemed to indicate him to the crowd as he continued speaking. "You see this young man? He was once a part of the _four-time_ winning probending team known as the White Falls Wolfbats. You see, after the three lost their bending, they kind of got lost in the shuffle, almost forgotten when the Avatar found a way to reverse the effects of Amon's debending technique. The trio never had their bending restored, and in the process that made them valuable to me."

Hiroshi lifted Shaozu's dazed gaze up to his for a minute before letting the former firebender's head drop and continuing with his speech. "Under the right circumstances the trio could obtain a spiritual ability not unlike my own. But, unlike me, their ability is more enhanced—when triggered anyways. Theirs allows them to travel between this world and the Spirit World at spiritual hotspots almost freely, which is an ability that is very useful for me and my goal. There is something I need to obtain from the Spirit World in order to make my plan successful—and the one of the trio that is capable of doing that is in this crowd, I'm fairly certain of it."

Spiritual capabilities—was Hiroshi referring to him? Did Hiroshi know that he was out there, exactly where he was now? Anxious knots twisted uncomfortably in Tahno's gut at the thought.

"If the one who's capable of it doesn't comply with my request, I will have to resort to using his friend here instead—which is a very messy ordeal. In order to awaken the ability, the young Wolfbat will have to have a near-death experience—and in order to successfully pull that off, I would need somebody to revive him after he gets close to reaching death so that he doesn't die and end up useless to me. Plus—I don't want to resort to _using_ the pathetic triad scum that Amon took care of that the Avatar didn't bother restoring the bending of. Especially considering it was _their kind_ that brought on the death of my beloved wife."

Tahno didn't like the idea of Hiroshi using Shaozu for his despicable plans. It angered him that Shaozu could end up a pawn for the man in the first place. He and Shaozu weren't as close as he and Ming had been, but the trio had been pretty tight when things were better. Before Tahno's troubles began, Amon's intervention—and Ming's death.

"As for my daughter—I have a very special purpose in mind for her. She's just what I need for a very important part of my plan—a plan to revive my dearly departed wife, the one who was murdered by vermin and started my need to remedy the world of their ilk. It is because of her that I wish to cleanse the world of bending—and she is the reason I will succeed!"

Hiroshi was looking at Asami the whole time he spoke, with her dagger filled verdant gaze aimed at him in pure and obvious hatred. Tahno could read the disappointment directed towards her father in the expression on her face, which—albeit being bruised, somewhat scratched up, and a little dirty—still looked beautiful and very confident. And very much like the spirit standing beside the man that was her so-called father, the monstrosity known by the name Hiroshi Sato.

Hiroshi stepped away from Shaozu and moved towards Mako's brother, Bolin. He ordered one of his subordinates to get the earthbender up on his feet and bring him closer to the mecha on the other side of the platform. His subordinate complied, getting the help of one of his fellows as they got a struggling Bolin to his feet and forcibly dragged him towards where Hiroshi ordered them to. They then forced Bolin to his knees again, right in front of the former businessman facing the crowd.

"My machine requires a certain amount and type of energy to be fully operational to the extent I need it to be. It requires an enormous amount of electrical power and fuel for one, but it also runs on another power source. You see—when it absorbs a person's chi flow, the part of them that contains their ability in it—through me, it converts it into a source of energy, powering it. A bender's chi flow is much more powerful than any conventional fuel source, and it takes the chi flow of a powerful bender to fulfill the total amount it requires to accomplish the first stage of my plan." Hiroshi brought up Bolin's head by his chin; looking into his hardened green eyes for a moment before letting his head fall once more. "This boy here isn't exactly what I'm looking for, but he'll do if necessary. His brother—the _street rat_ known as Mako...I believe he'd be more what I'm looking for, if not Avatar Korra herself."

Tahno felt something tugging at the cuff of his shirtsleeve. He looked quickly in that direction, expecting it was Korra trying to grab his attention, but saw that her hand was nowhere near his arm. He glanced around quickly for another source when he heard a familiar voice in his ear.

"Tahno, can you meet me somewhere more secluded for a few?" It was Ming's voice, soft yet insistent. "I need to talk to you, but I'd rather do it where I can be more substantial when I'm around you."

"You know of a place where it's secluded enough to talk?" Tahno asked under his breath.

"What?" Mako turned his attention to the ex-bender.

Tahno looked back. "Nothing."

"Just look for an edge of the crowd and move a bit away from it once you've reached it. I can easily find you from there," Ming assured him in a whisper that reverberated musically in his ear. "Oh—and that's a good look for you. You should've thought of doing role-play when things got hot and heavy between us. It might've made things even more _exciting_."

Tahno rolled his eyes in response before turning his attention towards Mako. "Mako, I need to look into something, I'll be right back," he said to the firebender.

Mako looked at him from under the hat, layers of wavy, dark fake hair, and decently applied makeup. "Don't be gone too long. You know—because of your...condition."

Tahno smiled. "I won't. Promise."

He peeled himself away from the company of the firebender and the Avatar and pushed his way through the crowd until he found an opening. He then looked around for a place that would work. On his way, he nearly bumped into somebody. When Tahno took the time to look at who just happened to be standing in his way, he realized it was the water tribe boy from earlier, the one who was constantly staring at him.

"Get out of my way," Tahno told the guy harshly. The water tribe boy stepped aside slightly, chuckling softly.

"Not very polite for a lady, are you?" The guy commented, his grin irritating the ex-bender.

"Like I care to be polite when you're the one who got in my way in the first place?" Tahno passed by him.

"Don't exactly sound like a lady either," Tahno heard the guy remark as he passed him. "You know, I've got a score to settle with Princess Yue." Tahno stopped in his tracks, ready to look the odd water tribe boy weirdly in the eye, but when he turned to face him, the guy was gone. Tahno shrugged off his absence and continued to look for a good place to have his discussion with Ming.

"Ming—you hear me?" Tahno called out to his deceased boyfriend. An instant later, Ming appeared—along with the irritating and unnerving spirit brothers, the ex-Councilman and _Amon_ himself.

"What's going on?" Tahno looked at Ming oddly. "And why are these two here?" He uneasily watched _Amon_ from the corner of his eye.

"I discovered the true identity of the spirit that's behind Hiroshi's plot," Noatak began. "Do you remember that spirit that looked like the one your friends encountered at the Southern Water Tribe festival?"

"Yeah—the one that was impersonated by that imposter that got Korra trapped in the Spirit World in the first place?" Tahno asked.

"Yes, that one." Noatak replied. "I spoke with him about this imposter spirit while at the South Pole, and he told me about another spirit that might have more information on it. The spirit I was told to seek out was one called Hei Bai of the Senlin village forest region. After some travel and a certain amount of time spent looking I managed to find him."

"I asked him about the spirit Hiroshi Sato's been possibly working with, and he told me—not in words, but in a vision—the answers I was looking for. What I learned was more surprising than I expected."

XoXoX

Korra's eyes were glued to the platform; worry for her friends up there overwhelming most other thoughts. She felt numb to Hiroshi's words as a result of her thoughts' mental consumption. She got the sense of Mako standing near her side, and recalled Tahno's departure not too long ago.

"Are you responsible for taking my girlfriend, for abducting Mei Lin?" Tahno's friend, Shaozu's demanding tone took her briefly from her inner turmoil. The Wolfbats former firebender looked more alert now she noticed, his soft brown eyes angrily directed at Hiroshi.

Hiroshi stepped away from Bolin for a moment to approach the former firebender. "I needed something to motivate you to look for her and get vengeance in the process. Don't worry, she's safe. She'll be returned to you if your friend complies with my wishes and I don't have to resort to using you instead."

"You bastard," Shaozu snarled at him. "You better not have hurt her—you or those goons working with you."

"She's perfectly fine. She's not a bender, so she doesn't particularly concern me," Hiroshi assured him.

"I lost what was most important to me—and you're about to lose what's most important to you." She heard a disembodied voice whisper in her ear. Korra looked around for a possible source, but found none.

"Hey, Mako, did you hear—?" Korra turned to ask the firebender, but stopped in midsentence when she noticed his absence. She looked around. "Mako?" She looked left—and then right. "Mako?" She pushed her way through the crowd. "Mako!" Everywhere she looked, he wasn't there. Mako had just—disappeared. Korra got frantic as she looked around, pushing further into the crowd, when those disembodied words came back to her.

_I lost what was most important to me—and you're about to lose what's most important to you._ They stopped her cold. Her heart started thudding harshly in her chest cavity, each beat practically ringing in her ears. It felt like her heart might leap right out of her chest. It got her to frenetically press through the crowd in search of either Mako or Tahno, whichever she found first.

XoXoX

"I thought it would be important to tell you about what Hiroshi wants from you or your friend that he's currently holding captive first before I get into the spirit working behind the scenes for him," Noatak told the ex-bender. "Also—I thought it would be good to inform you about what your mother's role is in all of this—why Sato had one of his spirit aides help him abduct her."

"What does he want from me or Shaozu exactly—and why_ did_ he abduct my mother?" Tahno asked him.

"Sato needs something from the Spirit World in order for his plan to work—something the Face Stealer keeps in his lair. He wants you or your friend to fetch it for him since he can't do it himself, and he needs your mother for two reasons," Noatak told him. "First: Hiroshi needs a waterbender to use the special water from the Northern Water Tribe's Spiritual Oasis to activate its special properties for his uses. Spirit Water from the Oasis has special properties—healing, life properties, and he needs that to activate full operation of his machine—_and_ obtain his ultimate goal of resurrecting his wife. Another reason he wants your mother outside of leverage to get your help is that—if you don't comply with his wishes and he has to resort to using your friend instead—he needs a waterbender who can also heal to revive your friend in the process of activating spiritual abilities within him. The Oasis water would be enough for a healer to bring your friend back from near death."

Tahno felt the seething anger rising within, but he fought to keep it in check, wanting to remain rational in this situation. "What else do you have to tell me?"

"I believe it would be important if both you and Avatar Korra were present to hear the rest of it," Noatak stated. He looked to the ex-earthbender. "Could you go fetch her?" Ming nodded, but before he could lift a foot to do so, they heard somebody familiar shouting for Tahno.

She came around the other side of the bush, breathing hard. "Tahno—something's happened with Mako! I don't know why, but he—he walked right up onto the platform where Hiroshi is!" Korra struggled through her frantic, labored breaths.

"What?" Tahno exclaimed incredulously. "W-what do you mean he just—?"

"I heard this disembodied voice whisper something in my ear, and when I turned to look for him, he was gone!" Korra explained. "It told me something like, '_I lost what was most important to me—and you're about to lose what's most important to you'_ in a disembodied voice before he disappeared, and now he's standing up there, not even fighting against Hiroshi's followers as the old bastard had him tied up!"

"Sounds like one of Hiroshi's spiritual helpers made a threat against you, Avatar," Ming told her. "You might want to get back there quick. I think Sato's planning to strip your boyfriend's firebending from him."

"Ugh, and Hiroshi's method, if he's right about it—that it makes the effect permanent—it would be something not even the Avatar could reverse," Tahno noted, cursing. "I can't let that happen. After all Mako's done for me—it's the least I can do for him."

"Let's hurry then. I don't think we exactly have much time to get back there and put a stop to it!" Korra stated desperately. Tahno only had to nod before the two rushed back through the crowd towards where the platform was. For the moment he forgot all about Tarrlok and Noatak as he and Korra sped through the crowd to see if they could get to Mako before it was too late.

XoXoX

Kami snuck around behind the stage, hiding under the platform before Hiroshi approached. She heard the floorboards of the stage creaking above her as she hid there. She had seen the trio bound to stage before she snuck under it, hoping she could find a way to get up there and free them when Hiroshi wasn't looking.

On her way over, she had a close near run-in with the man she'd revived some months back. The one who'd been in a coma until more recently, the one known simply as the _Lieutenant. _She couldn't recall what happened during their last confrontation—she blacked out before she witnessed what he did afterwards—but it caused her heart to ache seeing him once again operating on opposing sides from her. She'd managed to avoid him catching her as he made his way towards wherever he was heading.

Right now wasn't the time to feel bad about the man though. The one who she'd been told had brought her to the underground was currently shackled above her, along with his two companions, and it was her goal to release them when the time called for it. So that's what she did—she waited there, watching for the right opportunity to strike.

XoXoX

Bolin attempted to outwardly appear defiant and ready to deal with whatever Hiroshi had to throw at him, but internally he was scared to death. If any part of Hiroshi's claim was true—if all of it was true—he would most likely lose his bending and never be able to have it restored. But that wasn't what scared him the most. Hiroshi claimed he needed only one more bender for his plan to work, and he could very well end up being that bender—

Hiroshi and Shaozu stopped exchanging words when a hush fell over the crowd, and astonished murmurs arose. Bolin's head shot up, curious to the change in atmosphere, when his eyes landed on his brother ascending the stairs on the opposite side of the platform from where he was. His jaw just about near dropped in shock—and not because of what Mako was wearing.

"Bro? What are you doing?" Bolin managed to utter in his confusion. He tried making eye contact with Mako, make sense of his reasoning for his calm approach, when he noticed the glazed over look in his brother's usually intense auburn-gold eyes. He seemed oblivious to his own brother's plight, and didn't apparently register Asami's cries to him either.

He stopped right in the middle of the platform, looking like a mannequin in a display—an oddly dressed one—his auburn eyes as glossed over and devoid of self as a doll's.

"Looks like the street rat wants to take his brother's place," Hiroshi looked more than pleased—like he'd been anticipating the firebender's presence up there with him—expected it even. He ordered a couple of his subordinates to restrain Mako and get him on his knees while ordering a couple more to drag Bolin back towards where Asami and Shaozu were being kept.

Bolin violently struggled against his two _handlers_ as he attempted to get his brother's attention. "Bro, Mako—what's wrong with you? Why are you allowing them to do this to you? Snap out of it! Fight back at least! You're not acting at all like yourself!" All while Bolin was shouting to gain his brother's attention, Hiroshi was approaching Mako after his followers got the firebender on his knees before the gargantuan piece of machinery that towered over him from behind.

"I've wanted to settle the score between you and me for influencing my _daughter_ towards your side for some time," Hiroshi said to the compliant firebender before him. "Also—I know how much this will demoralize the Avatar to see you fall like this and not be able to do anything to help you." A twisted grin began to form on his lips. "I will enjoy this more than if it were the Avatar kneeling before me right now."

Bolin noticed the light return to his brother's eyes then, registering the startling realization of his current position as if it was just dawning on him. For the first time he saw Mako begin to struggle against his restraints. But it was too late to fight it, he realized—Mako was trapped.

Hiroshi ripped the hat with the extensions connected underneath clear from Mako's head as he struggled in vain. "You thought dressing in Asami's clothes would keep you from being discovered. You forget—I've got _eyes_ everywhere." He lifted the firebender's head up by the chin, adding in a tone only he could hear, "I know the Avatar's out there—and that your little friend with the stripped waterbending abilities is out there with her. It's just a matter of time before I find them both—and get that young man to do what I need him to. I'm sure they'll just _enjoy_ watching you lose your bending up here when they can't lend a hand to put a stop to it." He thrust the firebender's head downward harshly before looking away from him.

Hiroshi gave orders to one of his cohorts to turn on his behemoth of a machine. While the engine hummed and whirred as it powered up, he watched his captives' reactions. In return he got four infuriated glares.

With a twisted smirk and haughty chortle, he turned his attention to the crowd. "Fair citizens of Republic City—the time has come to set my plans to cleanse this world of the vermin like this street rat into motion." As he spoke he thrust one hand forward, his fingers pressed against the temple of Mako's forehead, the other landing on a panel of his machine that was purring with life and an eerie pale blue internal glow. He then continued with his voice rising enthusiastically. "It's time to bring an end to the era of benders!"

XoXoX

Yakone had obediently taken to Hiroshi Sato's instructions from the beginning; from taking possession of the Lieutenant while he was hospitalized in a coma to using the same man as a vessel while taking Hiroshi's orders during Republic City's takeover. Yakone knew that he and Sato both shared the same passion, the same goals. Sato wanted the citizens of the city—the _benders—_to pay, along with the Avatar, which was Yakone's main motivation for helping out the former businessman in his plot.

Promises of making the Avatar suffer, of watching the city that her previous incarnation—Avatar Aang, the Avatar that made Yakone pay the ultimate price—be annihilated while everything burned to the ground...Yakone had waited _years _to finally accomplish his goal. A goal his two sons were too incompetent to have ever pulled off themselves.

Tarrlok and Noatak—it had been years since he last thought about his two young progenies; failures to his designs, he recalled that fact well—

He was finishing up a few tasks Hiroshi had asked of him while he possessed the Lieutenant, wrapping it up quickly so he could be present by the man's side while he was holding his demonstration in front of the frightened citizens of Republic City. He wanted to witness their fear, watch as Hiroshi did his demonstration on the platform at the center of it all.

He was standing there watching when the young firebender stiffly made his way onto the platform, under possession from another spirit with an axe to grind. Yakone was fully focused on the young firebender's stage approach, a twist coming to his vessel's lips in satisfaction. He was completely focused—until he heard whispering from two voices directly in his ear.

"Yakone..."

"We know you're in there..."

Yakone twisted the Lieutenant's head in alarm, trying to locate the origins of the two voices. He spied no sources, none at all. Hiroshi's plot was progressing normally on stage.

"You really shouldn't help Sato out with his plans."

"I know you want your revenge with Avatar Aang and Republic City for the loss of your waterbending, bloodbending—but this...working with Sato...it's not the way to go about getting it."

"The consequences of his actions will be more catastrophic then you might even realize."

"Who's there?" Yakone demanded in the Lieutenant's voice, loud enough to be heard by whoever was whispering to him, but not loud enough to disturb Hiroshi's ongoing plot. "Identify yourselves and the reason why you're even bothering me!"

"Don't you recognize the voices of your own sons?" One of them answered.

_Sons—_"Tarrlok, Noatak—? What—"

"Yes—we're both dead," One of them clarified. "We both tried to follow a different path from the one you chose for us—but in the end...neither of us was able to escape it."

"While we fled the city after my plans fell apart, Tarrlok decided to blow our getaway boat up, killing us in the process," it was obviously Noatak speaking.

Yakone growled. "Why do you both choose to confront me now? You were both failures in my eyes, so what makes you think—"

"Hiroshi's plans? How much do you know about them?" Tarrlok bothered to interrupt.

"He keeps me up to date on everything," Yakone claimed with confidence.

"Did he inform you that he plans to resurrect his wife? The consequences his plan will have if his attempt at that is successful?" Noatak asked.

"I..." Yakone was startled. Hiroshi never bothered to inform him about that part of his plan. Considering the source though—he was dubious. "Why should I believe the words of my two incompetent sons? You've disappointed me, while Hiroshi has kept his word with me thus far."

"Sato didn't inform you probably because he wants to keep your loyalty, and he knows you want what he wants—so he's playing off your shared desires," Tarrlok spoke. "Listen—Noatak had a talk with another Spirit, one called Hei Bai, and learned that Sato's plans could tear apart the very fabric of reality as we know if it if he manages to pull off what he's planning."

"Do you want to be partially responsible for that?" Noatak added. "Do you want a hand in bringing on the end of the world?"

His eldest son's words struck him, unsettling the former crime boss to his inner core. He also felt the shock running through the Lieutenant's conscious mind under his control at the concept.

The Lieutenant forced his own lips to move against the will of his possessive captor. "Tell me everything you know."

XoXoX

Tahno and Korra pushed desperately through the crowds, hoping they had enough time to get Mako out of the predicted situation before Hiroshi could use him for his purposes. By the time they managed to get close enough to the platform to witness what was going on, they were too late. They were stopped in their tracks in ultimate despair as they realized that Hiroshi already had his machine set into operation, and gotten himself into the position he needed to attain his ultimate goal.

They watched helplessly as Hiroshi—with his hand over Mako's forehead, fingers on the firebender's temple—began the procedure, the woman by his side earlier ever-present. Tahno watched with astonishment, mesmerized as the woman's form lost its consistent shape, becoming fluid and formless. The formless figure began to overlap Hiroshi's, taking on a dark aura that surrounded him and expanded his presence. The mecha continued to eerily glow and hum as the dark aura expanded even further until it finally dissipated. The engine continued to purr away, but—as the dark aura disappeared—so did the pale blue illumination.

And then Hiroshi stepped away from Mako, a triumphant grin wreaking havoc on the former businessman's lips. Mako meanwhile looked dazed and weak, teetering on his knees as he continued to kneel wobbly before tumbling to the platform's surface.

"Looks like you lost this one," Tahno heard a taunting voice from behind. He turned, along with Korra, towards the source—the young water tribe boy that had been staring at him earlier. He had a confident smirk on his face. "You should've kept your attention on that street rat while you both had the chance." He chuckled mischievously as he faded out.

"Shit," Tahno finally realized why the water tribe boy was watching him so closely; embittered by the fact that he hadn't made the connection before.

"What?" Korra looked at him, confused.

"That guy was a spirit—one of Hiroshi's people!" Tahno cursed again. "I should've realized that earlier! That bastard up there got Mako to obediently go to him by having him possessed by that guy!"

"Possessed?" Korra exclaimed, snapping her gaze in Mako's direction. Watching Hiroshi's people rough-handle him to his feet and momentarily freeing him from his rope restraints brought her back to stark reality of the situation. "Mako—"

"Get to your feet, street rat!" Hiroshi ordered him. "I want you to demonstrate your firebending to the crowd!" Hiroshi's cohorts got Mako on his feet, but he wobbled a bit unsteadily, looking ready to tumble to the ground once more. "Stand up straight and show them a few firebending techniques!"

"Bro?" Bolin's voice emerged from the other side of the stage pitifully. "Please—please show them that he's wrong, that it didn't work—"

Tahno got the sinking feeling that—even as he tried to cling to the hope in Bolin's sentiments—that the procedure was a success. But he watched as it brought some life back into Mako's defeated eyes.

Bolin's words seemed to have a positive effect on his brother, perking Mako up enough to attempt to prove Hiroshi wrong. But as he tried to use his firebending to defend himself against Hiroshi and his cohorts, he grew frustratingly defeated at his failures until he sunk to his knees and began to sob. He sobbed into his hands until Hiroshi ordered a couple of his attendees to rebind his arms and legs to prevent a possible escape.

"Mako!" Korra cried loudly, revealing their location in the audience to the former businessman and his cohorts onstage. Tahno turned in time to see her thrust the hat from her head to the ground, her hair falling around her like a waterfall, tears streaming down her cheeks in rivers. Her ocean shallows were despaired and hardened, staring furiously in Hiroshi's direction. "Return his bending to him!" She demanded in a voice that didn't sound like her own—harsh and overdriven with fury. "Or you'll end up regretting it!"

"Korra—" Tahno began trying to warn her.

Hiroshi grinned as he looked at them. "I knew you both were out there, that the street rat didn't come alone."

"You got what you wanted from Mako—so you can let him go as well as Asami, Bolin, and Shaozu!" Tahno shouted angrily in response.

"I'm not releasing the street rat—he's still too valuable to me, even in his current state." Hiroshi calmly responded. "You can have his brother, but the other two are too valuable for me to release them. I need insurance just in case you don't give into my demands."

"Which are?" Tahno asked, although he already knew the answer.

"I want you to meet me up in the North Pole by the Solstice," Hiroshi looked in Shaozu's direction. "I want you to come alone; if you bring backup with you I will automatically resort to using your friend instead."

"He needs Korra to accompany him!" Mako suddenly got the energy to cry out. "If she isn't there to restore his bending by the end of the Solstice—he'll die! If you don't allow her to go with him—I'll make sure you'll end up regretting it!"

"He'll die—?" Asami was staring in Tahno's direction in astonishment, as was Bolin. "If you let him die—I won't allow you to use me for whatever plans you have for me! I'd rather be dead then allow you to let Tahno die once you're through with him and used me for your purposes!"

"And you need me alive in case Tahno doesn't follow through, right?" Shaozu spoke up. "If you don't let the Avatar come with and you let him die—I'll take _myself _out so you won't have a backup plan in case you fail to get Tahno to do what you want him to do! Even in this confined state—I'll find a way!"

As Hiroshi was being bombarded by pleas on the ex-waterbender's account, the air was rattled with the distant sounds of explosions. They all stared momentarily in the direction of Yue Bay, seeing the aerial assault that was beginning to get underway.

Biplanes, a small fleet of them, were in the air, targeting the police force's stolen airships and some of Hiroshi's visible ground force of mecha. Two planes in particular targeted one airship that was on the tail of one of their fellows, shooting some form of projectiles at the air blimp. The airship's _balloon_ was ruptured, erupting in sparks and flames as it sunk slowly from the sky toward the distant waters.

One of the biplanes managed to successfully target one of Hiroshi's mecha while another fell victim to projectiles shot upwards by another mecha at an inopportune moment for the biplane's operator, causing the pilot to eject from his craft and release his parachute. All the while, the young waterbender the trio had forgotten to account for after she departed their company earlier, Kami, attempted to free Bolin from his restraints with an _icing_ effect while using a water whip to keep Hiroshi's people back. Bolin bolted for freedom while Kami tried to work on Asami's restraints, but Hiroshi's followers managed to recover from her last attack in time to overwhelm her and hold her down before she could free Asami.

Hiroshi, meanwhile, was ordering some of his other subordinates to load his daughter and the Wolfbats former firebender into the compartment inside his behemoth mecha's interior. While they struggled to comply he approached where the struggling young waterbender was being held.

"Kill her," He ordered his two followers attending Kami's captivity. Just as they were about to, the Lieutenant unexpectedly intervened. Hiroshi glared at his supposed second in command angrily, demanding from him, "What are you doing?"

"I can't allow you to kill the girl. She saved my life once, and I cannot willingly—or otherwise—stand behind your true intentions," The Lieutenant declared, his pale blue eyes clear and determined. His eyes up to that point had been clouded, the result of his previous possession, but his determination to put a stop to Hiroshi's plans for the girl before they were enacted overruled his possessor's will.

"The girl's a bender—I thought you hated benders," Hiroshi shot accusingly at him.

"She risked her life to save mine once," The Lieutenant claimed, holding up his kali sticks and getting into position. "Even knowing what I've done—she went out of her way to save me. I owe her a debt for that."

"Fine—release the girl," Hiroshi shouted angrily at the two restraining her. They harshly released her to the Lieutenant, off guarding him enough to have both he and Kami tumble off the platform together. "Help get my daughter and the Wolfbats boy loaded up. I'll be making a hasty departure, and I'll handle the street rat myself."

"You're not going to be taking my bro, Asami or anyone else anywhere with you in that contraption of yours!" Bolin shouted from his new location a distance into the crowd. "I'll sink your mecha before you can even take off in it!"

"You attempt that—and I'll take care of your brother right here and now!" Hiroshi produced a dagger from inside his overcoat. "I'd like nothing more than to spill that street rat's blood all over this platform for all the trouble he's caused me, but I'm sure you wouldn't want that." He brought the dagger up to Mako's throat, just short of cutting into his jugular. "If you don't want to risk it, I suggest you don't attempt that!"

"Bro—" Bolin looked mournfully at his brother. "Okay, okay—I'll back down. Just—don't hurt him."

"Good," Hiroshi grabbed Mako, getting help from one of his followers as he lifted him up to the hatch leading inside the giant contraption.

As he was watching all this in some kind of stupor, Tahno noticed Korra's gasp sobbing coming from somewhere beside him. All of a sudden it ceased, causing him to turn in alarm.

"You won't get out of here, Sato!" Korra shouted at the former businessman in a tone deeper and richer than her own. "I'll make certain you never _LEAVE THE CITY!_" The air around her started to shift and crackle, Tahno realized, and her eyes were opaque white globes where her turquoise irises usually would be.

"No, Korra—don't—"Tahno began to shout, realizing the fact that the young Avatar had just transitioned into the Avatar State. He had only heard stories about it, never seen it in action before, but he knew that was what he was witnessing. And stark reality set in. Hiroshi's mecha was powering up again, the pale blue interior light growing brighter as its arm began rising to point in Korra's direction.

_If she dies or gets critically injured in the Avatar State, and somehow it ends up permanently disabled—_t_hat would be the end of the Avatar State, the end of—the Avatar, of—Korra._ Tahno's icy blues reached their widest extents. _Damn it, I'm not about to let Mako down after what he's just been through—_

Not thinking about it any further, Tahno rushed in Korra's direction, just in time to put himself in front of her to shield her from the impact of the ray that shot out towards her.

"_TAHNO!_" Mako—who was still being loaded up in through the top hatch, had enough time to witness the whole spectacle as it played out, his eyes wide with horror.

The impact was painful, like electrical currents were coursing through every molecule in the fabric of his being. He felt as if his entire body was on fire, the pain eventually causing him to release a sharp cry. Disoriented by the blow, he slumped to his knees before he felt himself falling farther. Somebody caught him by the shoulders, turning him around before setting him down on the ground on his back, looking down at him. With his blurred vision, the ex-bender couldn't make out who it was.

As Tahno's vision cleared, he recognized Korra hovering over him, tearstains still evident on her face, and new ones forming. He could also hear Mako's distant, repeated cries of his name over and over again. He attempted to get up, but he had a muscle spasm, and he felt pain shoot through him.

"Can you help me incline some?" Tahno asked her hoarsely. Korra helped him without comment, looking at the mad former businessman's mecha with contempt.

"Thanks for taking the blow," Korra said to him. "Wasn't expecting something like that from you."

"I promised Mako I wouldn't let you get hurt," Tahno replied. His head hurt. As he struggled to keep his eyes open, he felt Hiroshi's eyes on him. His icy blues met the former businessman's gaze.

"I expect you and the Avatar to show at the Spirit Oasis on the day of the Solstice. No other outside interferences, and if you don't show..." Hiroshi paused for a moment. "You already know the consequences." He closed the hatch behind him as he climbed into his contraption. The mecha lit up as the engine was fired up, and Tahno thought he must have been seeing things when the machine rose slowly up into the air and took off.

"Would you be okay if I left you to pursue—" Korra's words fell short when she noticed Tahno cringing painfully. "Pretty boy, are you okay? C'mon—speak to me, assure me that you'll be okay!"

"Korra, I—" Tahno began, and then everything went black.


	19. Chapter 19

It all seemed like some waking nightmare. Mako, his bending stripped, being hauled away by the mad former businessman who's machine had just made an attempt on her life—how her ex-rival, the former waterbender had stepped in to take the fall for her—

And now Korra was torn between pursuing Hiroshi as he made his escape and reviving Tahno after he fell unconscious due to the blow he took for her. While she heard Hiroshi's mecha take off and leave the city, she tried waking the ex-bender, shaking him desperately in an attempt to revive him. The attempt was futile.

"Avatar Korra—that's not going to work," she heard Ming's mournful voice in her ear. "You need to heal him, and quickly!"

Korra stopped shaking Tahno. "Huh? Ming, what do you mean by that?"

"The blow he took for you—it nearly killed him!" Ming shouted in her ear alarmingly. "If you don't work quickly...it's only a matter of time before it does!"

"You sure?" Korra questioned him critically, looking at the ex-waterbender, his face ashen and twisted in agony even in his unconscious state.

"Yes—dead certain," Ming replied, with added insistence, "Hurry!"

Korra gave up any thoughts of pursuing the former businessman in his machine and got to the priority task at hand. She searched desperately around her for some water to work with, thankful they were in the park and that the creek running through it happened to be nearby. Korra summoned the water to her and immediately got to work.

In all the chaos, Bolin had run off somewhere, and Korra lost track of him. She pushed thoughts of him and his brother's predicament, and Asami, and Tahno's captured friend, out of her mind as she desperately tried to revive the former waterbender with her healing technique. It had little effect on him that she could notice, but she kept at it.

"While you're waiting for that elder waterbender to show up to help you guys out—there's something I need to tell you about," Ming's voice was in her ear once more.

"Kya's on her way?" Korra asked him, in need of confirmation.

"Your earthbending friend that escaped is looking for help right now. She just came into the city a little while ago," Ming confirmed.

"What'd you need to tell me?" Korra asked him.

"You know how _Amon_ and his brother, the ex-Councilman, have been seeking out information to Sato's activities?" Ming asked her. She gave a brief nod.

"Yeah, what about it?" Korra asked.

"_Amon_ talked with the spirit that you suspected was responsible for luring you to the Spirit World, seeking more info on what Hiroshi's planning, and he was directed towards another spirit, one called Hei Bai, as Hei Bai might be knowledgeable on what's going on," Ming told her. "Turns out that he learned a wealth of info from Hei Bai—some interesting history on that crimelord father of theirs, Yakone, and how he really obtained his bloodbending abilities, as well as the real identity of the spirit working with Hiroshi."

"I think I already know the identity of that spirit," Korra stated. "Tahno said that the spirit standing by Hiroshi's side on stage earlier was Asami's mother."

She heard Ming sigh in her ear. "Sorry to disappoint you, Avatar Korra, but—that's not who it really is."

Korra almost stopped her healing efforts on Tahno in alarm. "It isn't?"

"Don't let up your healing!" Ming exclaimed. "And, no—it isn't."

"Who is it then?" Korra exclaimed, careful to keep up her efforts on the ex-waterbender. While she continued that, Ming told her everything he'd learned from Noatak and Tarrlok.

XoXoX

_Republic City was caught in an inferno much like he had seen it before. The flames—bright, intense, and in a rainbow of various hues and intensities—consumed everything in sight. From his current position high above the scene, the city burning below looked like light refracting in a facet of a well-cut diamond, a beam of sunlight cutting through the prism at one angle, and illumined like a rainbow as it passed through another._

_It was like a prism, or a precious jewel—_

_And then...everything around Tahno was contained in a mauve haze. Nothing seemed substantial or solid as he moved about, pressed further into the mauve void._

_The last thing Tahno could recall before entering this current reality—aside from his previous fiery vision anyways—was excruciating pain after taking the blow for Korra, her face lingering above his as he blacked out—as everything surrounding him faded to black. He didn't know where he was, or what had happened. Was this some sort of dream, or was he dead? Maybe the blow had triggered the flame-intense visage—_

"_Hello—anybody out there?" Tahno shouted into nothingness. "Anyone out there that would care to explain where the hell I am?"_

"_You're caught in limbo." The man's presence appeared from practically nowhere in the haze, as if he just manifested right there on the spot. It took a moment of looking at him for the ex-bender to recognize him._

"_Mako's pops," Tahno said. "Long time since we last spoke." He glanced around the void again, asking, "What do you mean by limbo?"_

"_It's the space between life and death," Mako's father replied. "That spiritual beam you took to protect Avatar Korra nearly permanently incapacitated you. It's thrown you physically into a coma to recuperate. Korra also had a hand in preventing this from becoming permanent—by thinking quickly and healing you before it could have killed you."_

"_I'm sure she'll be at least a little upset with me interfering with her chances to catch up with that bastard Sato before he ran for it," Tahno commented. "So—you have a reason to come see me, or did you come to make small talk while I'm trapped here?"_

"_I came to tell you that neither you or Korra could've prevented what happened to Mako," Mako's father said with a note of sadness. "In those riddles he told you, Koh gave you hints about what would happen, hinting at how Mako is involved in all this along with Korra, Hiroshi's daughter and Hiroshi himself."_

_Thinking back to the fiery vision he'd been entrapped in upon entry into this mauve haze, Tahno started putting two and two together with the possible interpretation of Koh's vision, Mako's involvement, and Hiroshi's grudge against the so-called **street rat**. He put his hand to his head in his reeling frustration. "Ugh, damn__—I really wish I'd been able to put those damn pieces together beforehand so that Mako wouldn't be paying the price for it now."_

_Mako's father stayed silent a moment, looking at the ex-bender solemnly before gathering his voice to again speak. "__Koh knew that you'd struggle with trying to understand his riddles, and it was his hope you wouldn't figure it out in time to intervene with what happened to my son. __Since Korra learned how to utilize the Avatar State, she has, on occasion, used it for things she shouldn't. She used it in a game with Tenzin's children so that she could beat them to the finish line. There have been several other occasions where she used the Avatar State to gain an advantage over others. That's what drew Koh's attention towards her, but it was her relationship with Mako that he's been concentrating on in particular."_

"_Koh is a devious spirit; he foresaw this happening, and wanted this to be a lesson to both of them about tampering with others' affections. Koh normally wouldn't bother with such affairs, but—considering his devious nature and the fact that it involves the Avatar—he wants her to understand her position as such and make certain she learns from her mistakes through sacrifice." _

"_Are you talking about that love triangle fiasco between those two and Asami?" Tahno asked him._

_Mako's father nodded. "In the Face Stealer's eyes, Miss Sato suffered a lot due to her father's crimes. She had already lost her mother violently, and now she's lost her father as well through his actions. Koh found it disappointing that my son and the Avatar would make Miss Sato suffer even more by keeping their growing feelings for each other from her until it built up to the point where they were no longer able to hide it."_

"_That how Asami's tied into this then?" Tahno asked him._

"_There's more to Miss Sato's involvement in all this," Mako's father told him. "But I'll leave that up to another spirit to explain."_

"_Hey, so—do you know if the thing with Mako's permanent?" Tahno asked curiously. "Will Mako ever be able to get...you know—his bending back?"_

"_I've been assured that it's possible—that he can get it back," Mako's father responded with a wistful half smile. "It'll depend on how circumstances play out, however. If things go a certain way—it'll be more definite. If not...it could very well become permanent."_

"_What certain way? Can you give me a hint about that?" Tahno raised an eyebrow._

_Mako's father didn't give him an answer, instead surprising him with, "You love my son—am I correct?"_

"_Huh?" Tahno's eyes went wide. "Yeah—have a problem with that? Have a problem with another guy loving your son __**romantically**__?"_

"_Only if it were to end up harming him," Mako's father told him seriously. "If he ends up hurt because of something you've done intentionally or because of something connected to you...I'll make sure you'll hear from me about it—in some way."_

_Before Tahno had a chance to respond with some kind of retaliation, Mako's father faded out, leaving him alone in the mauve void once more._

XoXoX

The internal noise created by the whirring of the engine firing off for departure was loud—ear splitting almost. As Hiroshi got Mako forcibly settled in place next to Asami and Shaozu, they cringed at the noise, trying to deal with it as best they could while unable to raise their hands to cover their ears. Meanwhile, the former businessman seemed unfazed by the noise, going without delay towards the controls for the giant mecha and getting himself situated in the operator's seat.

"I hope that you didn't kill Tahno with that beam your machine hit him with," Mako angrily said to the former businessman, who was busy working the control panel.

Hiroshi didn't waver from getting his mecha ready for takeoff. "I'm certain the Avatar will make sure that it doesn't." While the former businessman got back to overseeing operations, Asami had her eyes on Mako, wondering, curiously—if what her father did to him was _really_ true.

"Mako?" Asami's voice was just loud enough to grab his attention above the engine sounds. He looked her way.

"Are you okay, Asami?" Mako asked her.

Asami nodded, smiling small and sadly. "What about you? What my father claimed he could do...did he really—?"

Mako sheltered his eyes, down casting them before bothering to reply. "Hiroshi finally got his wish, Asami: he got his revenge with the _street rat _who's responsible for causing his daughter to side with benders—by stripping me of my firebending."

"You're not just trying to cover because _he's_ here with us?" Asami asked, tone desperately pleading.

Mako looked up at her with a glistening, sobering gaze. "No, Asami—I'm _not_ faking this! It's really _gone—_he really _stole _it from me! Didn't you see me desperately trying to blast _him_ and his cohorts back there?!"

"I know what it's like," Shaozu spoke up. "You feel lost for a while afterwards, but it does get easier. Take it from somebody who's been in your position before, and knows exactly what you're going through." Shaozu's words brought Mako back to thinking about Tahno—thinking back to one of their first conversations after he rescued the former waterbender from drowning. How he said he'd learn to deal with it if _he _ever had to deal with the loss of his bending. He laughed shortly at the irony.

"It seems like awful foreshadowing," Mako made note mostly to himself. When he noticed two confused looks aimed his way, he tried to explain. "That first day—right after I rescued Tahno from drowning—he claimed I'd probably try to commit suicide too if half the things that happened to him after the Amon Incident happened to me. Assuming he meant just the loss of his bending, I told him if it ever happened to me—I'd learn to deal with it. Here it's happened—and I've got to take my own advice. I've gotta learn to deal."

"Hey, you know—maybe Hiroshi's not completely correct, maybe there's a way to reverse it," Shaozu said encouragingly. "I mean—Avatar Korra can restore mine if I wanted her to, right? Maybe, in the end—she'll figure a way to do that for you."

"Just have hope Mako," Asami said to him. "We'll get out of this."

Mako smiled sadly. "I can only hope."

Asami looked at him. "And Mako?"

"Yeah?" He replied.

"My dress looks good on you," Asami stifled a smile as best she could. "But when you're finished wearing it...you don't have to return it to me."

XoXoX

The turmoil in Republic City was over. Once Hiroshi Sato made his departure from the metropolis, his opposing forces managed to gain control of the _Equalists_ he left behind. A number of them had been under possession—the influence of some spiritual force—much to their surprise and most everyone else. The ones who had been acting on their own accord were rounded up and apprehended, filling the space in the prison facility where all of the captured city's citizens had been locked away.

One man who had been crucial in providing information into what happened was a very unexpected one; The Lieutenant, after standing up for the young waterbender, Kami, had helped to get his _co-conspirators_ rounded up and under control.

He also proved to be a wealth of information, telling how—during his hospital stay recovering in a coma—the spirit of Yakone had come to possess him and released him from the hospital to get Hiroshi's prison break and other plans set into motion. He also had some history on Yakone that most hadn't been made knowledgeable about—how his bloodbending hadn't been a naturally passed down talent, but an enhancement bestowed upon him and his future bloodline by another spirit for a pact the crimelord made with that spirit.

The Lieutenant didn't know the identity of that said spirit, but he got the strong sense that the one Yakone had made a pact with was the same one working with Hiroshi.

XoXoX

Not long after the trio had their mini conversation, Mako began to feel ill. Whatever Hiroshi had done to him during the demonstration—whatever procedure the former businessman used to strip him of his firebending—the after effects left Mako unusually groggy and weak. He felt like his very life energy had been altered in the process—his moments since Hiroshi captured he and the other two becoming possessed by periods of unconsciousness, or waking moments caught in a daze.

Mako couldn't keep track of the passage of time in their small, confined space inside Hiroshi's giant mecha. Time—and distance for that matter—seemed a blur to him, no more material than the tangibility of his thoughts, his concerns, the assurance of their safety. He recalled Asami asking if he was all right somewhere along the line, but he only answered with a slight nod and an acknowledging noise. He didn't have the energy to give her more.

His only lucid moments were during his blackout periods, where he would dream about one particular young man with pale skin, eyes the color of glacial ice, contrasting dark hair falling to partially obscure his eyes, and an expression forever twisted in pained agony.

Over and over, he saw that same young man's eyes go wide to their extents before they would slowly close as his knees caved out from under him and he tumbled to the ground in an unconscious heap—

XoXoX

_Tahno had been left to his own devices for quite some time. The only thing he could really do was kill time trying to figure out that riddle the Face Stealer told him about. _

_What had he figured out so far? He asked himself. Kuruk, karma, fire and anger—Tahno was certain Hiroshi and his wife's murder played a big role in the overall answer to the riddle._

_Something Mako's father said—it had filled in yet another piece to the puzzle. Koh had intended to teach Korra a lesson after all—but not by being a co-conspirator in Hiroshi's abduction attempt made on her. His lesson for her was for a different reason, and had an entirely different motivation behind it._

_Korra and Mako's relationship—from what Mako's father told him and what he knew already—had started growing between them when he was still with Asami. They had kept the details of it from Asami until it ultimately ended up boiling over, and the end results were disastrous for all parties involved. But especially for Asami, who had already lost so much before the two people she'd grown close to had betrayed her like they had—at a moment when it especially hurt her._

_Mako and Korra's relationship had started its foundation in the basis of lies, deceit and hurt. Reflecting on their situation, Tahno couldn't help feeling guilty about being currently caught up in a situation similar to theirs. His developing feelings for Mako, and Mako's in return—all while keeping it hidden from everyone else because they were worried about the impact it might have if anyone else were to find out. The impact it might have on Mako's current relationship with __**Korra—**_

"_Damn it—I never wanted to get caught up in that kind of a mess!" Tahno shouted in frustration. "If it's any consolation to the forces of the universe—I started developing those feelings for Mako before I even knew he and the Avatar were together in the first place!"_

"_It's not your fault you fell in love with him, and the universe isn't going to punish you for that." Tahno did a one eighty in search of the culprit of the unexpected speaker. He got dizzy looking around, discovering the source only after the daze faded from in front of his eyes._

_It was a woman, a vaguely familiar woman; a woman with pretty features and soft green eyes. As if to confirm she was the owner of the voice, she added, "But that isn't the most important matter you should be dwelling on. Other things should take priority—like my husband's current actions, and the welfare of my daughter."_

_And then it hit him. He knew why she seemed familiar. "You're—Asami's mother?" he exclaimed. _

"_Yes," she replied. _

_Tahno stared at Mrs. Sato, dumbfounded. "But—y-you're...if you're helping Sato w-with his plans...how can you—"_

"_The spirit you saw with my husband that looks like me—it isn't," Mrs. Sato informed him. "I once loved my husband; he used to be a brilliant man. But my death changed him—and not for the better. He's become so consumed over my death and revenge against all benders as a result that he's willing to punish every one of them for the actions of a few. Hiroshi is also so consumed over my loss that he's willing to go to any length to revive me." She fell silent, hesitating before she continued grimly. "He's willing to sacrifice his own daughter in order to achieve that goal."_

"_Wait—what?" Tahno stared at her, purely flabbergasted. "He plans...to use Asami—to bring you back...from the dead?"_

"_Yes—the spirit that claims to be me told him that he could exchange our daughter's life to regain mine," Mrs. Sato replied. "Along with his goal to rid the world of benders because of my murder, he has always wanted to find a way to bring me back, and the spirit posing as me has always known that and used that fact to it's advantage. It knew that's what my husband wanted to hear, and posed as me to propose the idea."_

"_If that's not you—then...who __**is **__it?" Tahno questioned her._

"_The Spirit of Republic City."_

XoXoX

After Kya gave the United Forces fleet the okay to come into port once she was certain the bay was swept clean of Hiroshi's underwater mines, their forces congregated in Yue Bay, coming ashore to help with the city clean up. In the process, Tenzin—along with his two siblings, Lin Beifong, and General Iroh—retook Air Temple Island, clearing it of Hiroshi's people's influences while making it their stronghold for crucial meet-ups.

Once the crowd dispersed and the city calmed down some, Kya went in search of the young Avatar and her companions. She discovered Bolin standing around at the docks, seeking it seemed a familiar soul to help him out. She rushed up to him quickly, taking the young earthbender by surprise as she hastily caught him up in an embrace.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't able to free you from Hiroshi's clutches after you three were captured last night!" Kya told him as she hugged him excruciatingly tight.

"Kya, it's fine—really, but—I...can't—breathe," Bolin wheezed in her grasp. She let him go, noticing his face had taken on a hint of blue.

"What happened?" Kya asked him. "Where are the others?"

Bolin looked at her with mournful verdant eyes. "Mako...was captured along with Asami and Shaozu. And...Hiroshi got away."

"What about the other two?" Kya asked. "Tahno and Korra?"

"Korra's back in the park with Tahno," Bolin replied. "I think she needs your help. When I left them to look for help, he wasn't looking too good."

"What do you mean?" Kya asked, but instead of giving her an explanation, Bolin grabbed her hand and pressed through the crowds with her in a rush. When they arrived in the park after some major crowd pushing, they discovered Korra desperately attempting to revive Tahno. Kya rushed over. "What happened?"

Korra explained what happened, in detail, as Kya went to work trying to heal the ex-waterbender. How Sato managed to hold his daughter and Tahno's friend hostage, Mako's possession and what Sato did to him on stage, to the blow Tahno took to protect her after Sato targeted her when she went into the Avatar State. Bolin described the beam of light being similar to the one used during the incident in Hiroshi's demolished workshop when he made his escape with his giant contraption.

"We finally know what Hiroshi planned to use that mecha for," Bolin commented, embittered. "I hate the fact that Mako became one of his victims. I can only hope that Hiroshi's claims—that the effects are permanent—aren't true."

"I want to make sure we get Mako back safe—along with Asami and Tahno's friend that Hiroshi took with him." Korra stated. She looked to Kya, asking, "Did anyone manage to see where Hiroshi went after he left the city? Track down his movements, and figure out where he's going, where he currently is? It's really important we track him down."

"United Forces and the city's police force have been so busy cleaning up Hiroshi's mess, none of them were able to keep track of Hiroshi's movements after the demonstration," Kya informed her regrettably. "What you've both told me is the first news I've heard about Hiroshi's activities post-demonstration."

"Well—it's really important we catch up to him quickly," Korra told her. "I just had the spirit of Tahno's teammate fill me in on a few things involved in Hiroshi's plan—and the details are anything but pretty."

"Tell me what you learned while we make our way back to Air Temple Island," Kya told her, hoisting Tahno's unconscious weight up in her arms. "I've done what I can for Tahno here. I think he's stable, but we need to get him back to the island to lie down until he recuperates."

Korra nodded, talking while they walked.

XoXoX

Of Hiroshi's three captives, Asami was the only one who remained aware the whole time of her surroundings—of everything. Shaozu attempted to pass the time by getting some rest, build up his strength if the chance for a revolt might arise. Asami wasn't worried about him; the Wolfbats former firebender seemed in good shape, albeit tired looking.

It was Mako that had her worried; as she watched him fade in and out of consciousness constantly she worried about what kind of effects her father's procedure was having on him, if he was even going to be okay.

"Mako?" Asami tried calling out to him. At first he was unresponsive to her, then his eyes half lidded and he looked her way a moment groggily. "Mako, are you going to be okay?" She got the slightest of nods and a grunt before he was out cold again. "What's wrong with Mako?" She glared at Hiroshi, who was still at the controls operating his machine. "What did you do to him?"

"The debending process has weakened his chi," Hiroshi responded blandly, not even bothering to look her way. "His spiritual possession beforehand also took a bit of life out of him. It has a tendency of doing that. The street rat will be okay after he's had some time to recuperate."

"I hope you're right about that," Asami grated. "And I wish you'd stop calling Mako _street rat._" Her so-called father never turned to face her, but she continued to send her dagger-filled stare his way, even knowing it didn't seem to have any effect on him. It was the most she could do to kill the time and keep from becoming consumed about Mako's wellbeing—

XoXoX

"_The Spirit of Republic City." Mrs. Sato wasn't the one to speak—the voice being too deep and masculine to belong to her. Tahno's eyes darted all about for a new probable source—spying a figure that had become the embodiment of his worst nightmares._

"_Amon—Noatak," Tahno tried swallowing his fear, his fury. Tried to regain some rationality, considering the warning the Moon Spirit had given him about not listening to what his __**nightmare**__ might have to say. "What do you mean by 'Spirit of Republic City'?" _

"_Just what it suggests," Noatak stated. "The Spirit that inhabited the region that is now known as Republic City. I meant to inform you and the Avatar about the revelation I uncovered from Hei Bai about the Spirit, but we were interrupted by your friend being put in sudden peril by Sato."_

"_The situation with Mako," Tahno noted somberly before aiming his icy blues directly at the former Equalist leader. "Tell me what you found out about this Spirit."_

"_Before Republic City became the sprawling metropolis that it's become, it was comprised of the Fire Nation colonies," Noatak responded. "Before that even, it was just a collection of small towns and wilderness. You learned about this in your studies growing up—right?"_

"_Yeah, I recall the history of the area from my studies," Tahno responded. "So—what about it?"_

"_Well, before this area was taken over by the Fire Nation, it was mostly dense wilderness and small towns, like I said before. In those days, the area was home to another inhabitant, a certain spirit," Noatak explained. "The wilderness had been the Spirit's dwelling for a few millennia, and had hoped to dwell there in peace for many millennia yet to come. But then, the more advanced Fire Nation came along—and decided to incorporate the land and make settlements there. The spirit was livid by this invasion of its space, but chose not to retaliate. At the time, most of the land was kept much like it was, albeit the fact that small villages and cities cropped up here and there."_

"_But then, Avatar Aang came along, and with the help of some of his allies, laid out the plans to develop the region into what it's become today. It was about that time that the Spirit became truly livid over the invasion of his territory, and attempted to take steps to thwart the Avatar's plans."_

"_One of the spirit's plots involved my father, Yakone. Yakone made a pact with the spirit, enhanced waterbending abilities that would allow him to control people—very advanced bloodbending—in exchange for his cooperation with the spirit's plans. My father started from below and worked his way up, almost gaining success in his plans—until the authorities, and Avatar Aang himself—thwarted his plans and stripped him of his one hope for citywide domination." _

"_That where you got your scary bloodbending abilities from?" Tahno questioned him. _

"_Yes," Noatak said with hinted regret. "Yakone hoped to exploit my ability and my brother's in order to get his revenge against Avatar Aang for stripping him of his bending—and his chances of taking over the city. Before I even knew the extent of his plans for my brother and me, I was fed up with him wanting to use us for revenge. I ran away during a storm, and never saw Yakone alive again. Tarrlok and I didn't really meet up again until many years later, and from what he has told me about Yakone after my departure—he had supposedly given up on plans for revenge when I left—while he was still alive anyways."_

_Revenge, Avatar Aang, a spirit livid with the invasion of its territory—the details of the accounts Noatak had just relayed to him had a familiar ring to him. It brought Tahno's mind back to the riddles the Face Stealer had left him to solve—the parts he'd figured out, and those he hadn't. Hiroshi, Ozai, Yakone—all spiteful, all filled with needs for retribution. _

_Then there had been that water tribe boy who had possessed Mako; he'd said something about settling a score with Princess Yue, hadn't he? Tahno didn't know who the water tribe boy was, but the ex-bender got the sense that he was vengeful against the Moon Spirit for something he felt she did to him when he was alive—and possessed Mako to get revenge against her as a spirit._

_That all seemed to fit with parts of the riddle involving Kuruk—revenge, anger, karma—but how did the riddle about the jewel tie in— _

_The jewel—the one livid with it's existence, wanting to destroy it because it was seen as a blemish...the jewel..._

"_I think I just figured out Koh's cluster fuck of a riddle," Tahno said aloud. "The Spirit Yakone worked with, the one that's currently working with Hiroshi—it wants to see Republic City go up in flames, right?"_

"_Go up in flames, be utterly destroyed—that's pretty much the Spirit's intent," Noatak replied. "The spirit Hiroshi's allied himself with is almost as ancient as the land Republic City stands on now is, and very powerful. From what I could decipher of Hei Bai's visions, the spirit is capable of very powerful energybending." _

"_Explains the burning city vision the Face Stealer thought I needed to see," Tahno said. "Also explains why Hiroshi didn't care if his workshop went under—it'd all get destroyed along with the rest of the city if their plans for Republic City's destruction were carried out like Hiroshi and that spirit wants."_

"_My husband was willing to do anything to revive me and get his revenge against benders for my death—even if it meant destroying Republic City, his home, and everything he built there," Mrs. Sato spoke up, making her presence known once more. "The spirit promised those both in exchange for his help—using my likeness to make its promises more convincing to Hiroshi."_

"_Republic City's destruction won't be the only thing to worry about if Hiroshi and the Spirit's plans are successful," Noatak stated grimly. "Hiroshi intends to meddle with the energies that hold the two realms separate with the help the spirit has promised him it is capable of in order to resurrect his wife. The best and probably only time he can accomplish this goal will be during the solstice, when the barrier between the two realms will be at it's thinnest." He added with grave emphasis, "But the action will have unforeseen consequences—cataclysmic consequences that could even mean the end of everything we know."_

_Tahno swore. "Doesn't that bastard even know what the hell he's doing?"_

"_Hiroshi and the Spirit he's working with are both too blinded by their hate and need for vengeance to acknowledge the consequences to their actions. While the spirit's too blinded by vengeance to realize the consequences their actions could render, Hiroshi's willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish both of his goals without bearing in mind what they could ultimately result in," Noatak told him. "In my attempt to __**equalize**__ the population by removing bending from the world, I only meant to bring everyone onto equal grounds with one another. Hiroshi's plans—the consequences of those—I can't condone those."_

"_Okay—now that I know what Hiroshi's planning to do and who the Spirit he's working with is...what can I do to stop the bastard without getting Mako, Asami and Shaozu killed in the process?" Tahno asked him._

"_That's something you and the Avatar are going to have to find the solution to for yourselves," Noatak told him. The ex-bender scowled, but didn't shoot back a retort._

"_Can I ask something of you?" Mrs. Sato spoke up, drawing the ex-waterbender's attention her way._

"_What?" Tahno asked._

"_When you see Asami, can you please tell her how proud I am of how she turned out? How she's stood by her convictions, even as her father's been corrupted by his need for revenge? I want you to make sure she knows that I'm not behind her father's plans—that she was right in believing I would never stand behind my husband's claims," Mr. Sato replied. "She's got so much of my spirit in her—spirit for adventure, for the people she cares about, for continuing to grow and thrive her father's business even with how he's tainted it's reputation with his actions, for knowing what's important in life—"_

_Before Tahno could assure her that he would get her words to Asami, she faded out into nothingness. For that matter, so did Noatak. Yet he remained in this hazy environment, alone, as mauve a hue as when he first entered it. _

XoXoX

Lin had come very close to being grounded during the aerial assault. If it hadn't been for some quick thinking on General Iroh's part and his warning, she could've ended up twisted inside a crushed piece of smoldering metal and a plume of flames.

Now that their mission was finished and Hiroshi's occupation had come to a close, it was time for all the forces to congregate and discuss further plans—as well as plans for the city's reconstruction after all the damage it took in the past few days due to Sato's activities there.

First thing's first—she wanted to meet up with her interim officer acting in her stead while she was gone. The officer, named Ishio, had run the operation during Sato's occupation and had been responsible for gathering the underground initiative that had taken down most of Hiroshi's ground based forces and proven crucial in obtaining information that helped them retrieve Avatar Korra.

She would find him back at the station, short hair mussed and his face grimy from seeing action. But he looked otherwise no worse for wear, and when he turned to see her approach, he was smiling.

"I've heard about what you had to oversee in my absence," Lin addressed in her usual manner.

"Yeah, there was a lot more to it then I was expecting—and I'm glad you're back to take charge of things again," Ishio responded. "It's been fun, but I much prefer less action and more thinking."

"Considering the time constraints and what you had to work with, you did well," Lin told him, the praise not wasted on him.

Ishio smiled wanly. "Has there been any news about one of my people—a young firebender named Mako that I believe should've been in the company of the Avatar and that former waterbending friend of his?"

"Mako—" Lin had heard rumors from eyewitnesses about the young firebender's whereabouts—what had happened to him. "I regret having to tell you this, but I've heard that Sato took your young officer hostage. I also heard that Sato stripped him of his firebending before he took him, his daughter, and another boy hostage and fled the city."

Ishio's smile lost any of its remaining humor. "I thought I heard that something like that happened to Mako. I was just hoping that it wasn't true."

"It is indeed unfortunate," Lin told him sincerely.

Ishio asked then, "Has there been any news about Avatar Korra, or that ex-waterbender that was with them, Tahno?"

"Korra's just fine, although I can't quite say the same about the former waterbender," Lin told him.

"What happened to him? Did Sato get him too?" Ishio asked her.

"Hiroshi attempted to take Avatar Korra out with some sort of beam he shot out from his machine when she went into the Avatar State—from what I've heard—and that young man stood in and took it in her place," Lin told him. "Foolhardy move, I'd say, but considering what happened to him...it was—brave."


	20. Chapter 20

Mako was having a hard time keeping track of reality and dream—it all seemed to blur into one continuous reality that he was merely a part of.

He thought he heard Asami's concerned, inquiring voice calling out to him, but her voice sounded like the fabric of a dream to him, while what his awareness was drawn towards seemed more embedded in reality.

He was ensnared in a mauve haze, where at first he only could make out voices. And then—he saw forms somewhere in the distance, forms he saw, but didn't seem to see him. One was the young man with the iceberg hued irises from his other dream—the waking nightmare from the beginning. The other—were his eyes deceiving him? Was he really seeing his father there—?

The two were conversing, and they did so for a time; Mako caught every word spoken. And then darkness claimed him for a time.

When he returned to this dazed mauve world, his father was gone, and another man and a woman stood there in his place. The other young man was still there, ever intently listening to every word shared with him, expression grave. And then, this faded too, only to be replaced with something entirely different.

He found himself standing in an alleyway—

XoXoX

_Time indeterminable seemed to pass in that lonely mauve hued limbo Tahno felt trapped in. He had been left alone there for quite some time, left to think about a variety of things. And then, in a shift that occurred so abruptly he wasn't by any means prepared for it, his mauve surroundings vanished—replaced with a vision from the past he would soon rather forget completely and never think about again. A vision he was placed at the center of, and forced to relive against his will._

_After being forced against the brick wall of the alleyway—even as he struggled against the maneuver—Tahno felt the unforgiving rocky restraints take his wrists captive as his captor forced them into place with his earthbending. The rough stone ground against his flesh as he struggled to free himself from it, even as he recognized the effort was a vain one._

"_Please, I beg of you—don't do this!" Every word Tahno cried hung heavy with pleads for mercy. His captor would have none of it, the words bouncing off him like he was shielded from their effects. _

"_After what you've done—you don't deserve sympathy. You only deserve whatever's coming your way; it's the way karma works. Besides__—y__ou might actually enjoy this." Something in the man's eyes seemed unnatural; they shone with glinted hostility, maniacal possession. As if the man's mind was overtaken by a force darker, more foreboding than his own fury, a man possessed by a demon—_

"_Please! I'm sorry for what I've done!__You don't have to do this!" Tahno kept pitifully pleading with his captor, even though the effort was pathetically futile. The man's eyes didn't even seem to see __**him**__. They seemed to see right through him, as if he were something else entirely. Almost as if he saw him as lesser, as just an obstacle in life, or nothing—_

"_I can't even see how—or why—scum like you manage to be called 'high class'. What has this city come to—when filthy little cocksuckers become the elite, the stars? What happened to real men filling those roles, huh?" The man took a chunk of the former waterbender's hair in one hand and gave it a harsh yank. When he released the ex-waterbender's hair, it sent his head involuntarily jerking to the side painfully._

"_You little cocksucker, it was your cheating antics that almost cost my friend his life! You and that earthbending teammate of yours—the one I'm pretty certain you're fucking." The man lifted the ex-bender's head up to look him in the eye, the captor's eyes that focused on icy blues glazed over and possessed by the soul of a demon. "I bet you probably planned out every cheating move you guys made while you're giving it to him up the ass. Or does he deliver it to you? I see you as being the one giving it to him, considering you're the one so driven to be on top!"_

"_Cretins like you used to hide in the shadows, never stepping into the light of day. It's unfortunate that times have changed so much that filthy creatures like you and your fuckbuddy teammate can make it into the limelight and get the crowds cheering for you." The man rough-handled the former waterbender, leaving his clothes in disheveled disarray. His shirt hung open in the front, revealing his chest openly._

"_It's the yuans that do the talking, isn't it? Honest men like me can't get a break because the system's being corrupted by cretins like you who lie, cheat and thief with all the bloody yuans you filth have at your disposal. And then it's men like my teammate, my friend—the one you and that boy toy of yours conspired against when your cheating move almost permanently incapacitated him—that pay the real price." The man punched his captive in the chest, knocking the wind from his lungs. The man did it again, and again—_

"_I'm surprised the referees even let filth like you guys get away with the moves you three used! But then—maybe the referees are just as bad as you. Probably crawled from the same cesspool you did. Probably why they delighted in taking your bribes, allowed you to get away with cheating even if it left your rivals beaten and nearly dead. All at the exchange of a few yuans —that's all it takes these days, doesn't it?" The man grabbed up a handful of the ex-bender's collar in one hand, shaking him, the move doing some damage to the garment._

_Meanwhile, Tahno tried not to pay attention to any of the words pouring from his seething ex-rival's mouth or his actions. The man who's glazed over eyes shined with every epitome for fury in existence. With great, agonizing intensity he tried concentrating on the far off dripping of water, attempting to replace each vilely spoken word directed at him with a tap, tap, tap—_

"_By the time I'm done with you—you'll wish you never made those mistakes. You might even wish to never have crawled out from wherever you came from—or that you were even born. I'll be satisfied if I pound some sense into you—and leave you a bleeding mess in the same condition you left my teammate in. That'll be true justice." The man's lips twisted into a wicked smirk, accentuating his demonic air. "I'll show you who's really on top."_

_It was then that everything went from bad to worse. The former waterbender was helpless to fight the man's next humiliating maneuver that left him dreadfully half-exposed. He knew what was coming, although his mind kept trying to deny its reality. He was already in pain from the man's previous beatings, knowing that was nothing compared to what he was facing. Nothing—_

_Salty rivers pouring from his wide icy blue eyes stained his cheeks. He whimpered and shivered with fear, anxiety overtaking his rationality. He felt like a trapped animal awaiting death at the claws of a predator—a feeling he wasn't adjusted to, one he couldn't fathom relating to. _

_At that moment all he wanted to do was separate himself from his body, or just die. He closed his eyes in an attempt to separate himself from his situation, but the shooting pain of a severe yank to his hair and violent penetration broke the seals on his eyelids, causing them to shoot open involuntarily. When he couldn't close himself off from the pain by going inward, he tried to focus on something outside himself that would take him away from it. In the process his eyes spied a figment standing there across the way. _

_The form was semi transparent, but identifiable. It was human in appearance, and familiar. Very familiar, almost unbearably so when the man's identity was finally realized—_

_In his father's pale sage green eyes lingered sorrow of the deepest extents. His sharp features were tragically drawn, his mouth attempting to speak something soundlessly on the tip of his sobered tongue—_

_His father's lips kept moving, repeating the same gesture over and over. The same word, the ex-bender realized, as he continued to be subjected to his excruciating circumstances. He tried to decipher the word on his father's lips even as he felt his life draining slowly away from him—as his body took more than it could handle and his wounds spurted forth his life force in the form of a rouge river—_

_Ya-kuh-own—Ya-kone—Yakone. That was what his father was trying to tell him. Yakone—_

_But—why Yakone? His mind couldn't puzzle it together, and his strength was being depleted from him. He was fading, falling into the darkness that welcomed him like the arms of death—_

_And then—he was surrounded in dazed mauve hues like before. His visage of the brutal attack he faced some months back at the hands of an ex-rival evaporated into a memory—almost all of it anyways. One thing remained with him as the rest of the memory faded. His father's presence there—he had been trying to tell him something. Yakone—wasn't that it? But—why? Why the name of the former crime lord who had tormented the citizens of Republic City with his bloodbending long before his time?_

"_Why Yakone?" he muttered to himself._

"_I see you got my message." His father's voice took Tahno from his thoughts. There he was, standing a short distance away from him in his mauve void, ethereal and at the same time—substantial._

_Tahno looked at him quizzically, expressing his confusion with an eyebrow raised. "Message? What message?"_

"_The one I was trying to convey while you were being tormented by that vision from the past," Rei Jin explained._

_**Yakone**__—"What about Yakone?" Tahno asked him._

"_Didn't you notice something—wrong—about the eyes of the man who assaulted you?" Rei Jin asked him. __For a moment the ex-bender stared at him blankly, and then thought back on that vision—as much as he didn't want to._

_His attacker—his eyes had been glazed over, had the appearance of someone possessed—demonically possessed even. And then he made the connection. Yakone, possession—"Yakone possessed the bastard when he attacked me." The words embroiled Tahno as he spoke them, anxiety being replaced by searing anger. "Why didn't I know that before? Why didn't I realize that before?"_

"_You couldn't bear to look back on what happened to you because you were too traumatized by what happened to acknowledge it completely," Rei Jin informed him with grave truthfulness. "What occurred that day scarred you beyond comprehension. With good reason—what you went through was beyond incomprehensible." _

"_So—are you telling me Hiroshi and his goons have been playing with me since practically the beginning?" Tahno exclaimed incredulously. _

"_The spirit that Hiroshi has been working with has been anyways," Rei Jin told him. "He knew what you would eventually be capable of—and knew how to exploit that to his advantage. The spirit didn't want to lose that opportunity—wanting to do something to you that would keep you oblivious to Avatar Korra's discovery of debending restoration once she came back to the city to restore what Amon took from his victims. The Spirit discovered there was an ex-rival livid enough with you to do something that would demoralize you—and then sent Yakone to ensure you were put through it using that man's own vengeful motivations as a driver when Yakone possessed him. Unfortunately, you paid dearly for their goals."_

"_I'm going make that bastard Hiroshi and that spirit working with him pay for subjecting me to that," Tahno seethed, never feeling so angry in his life._

"_I'm so sorry you ended up being their tragic pawn in this—I really am," Rei Jin said with transparent sincerity. The ex-bender forced his fury down, in the process transforming it into something else._

"_I wish you could've understood me better when you were alive," Tahno's eyes glistened with tears. "It stinks you had to wait until you were dead to finally get me."_

"_Me too," Rei Jin replied regrettably. Tahno drew his hands to his face as he broke down suddenly, feeling the pressure of hands on his shoulders as he released his overwhelming burden of grief. When he looked up from his hands with swollen eyes, he saw his father standing there, the most tragic expression cast across his sharp features. As much as he didn't want to, the ex-bender collapsed into the embrace his father enveloped him in then, continuing to sob as he released his mental grief onto his father's shoulder._

XoXoX

The trip back to Air Temple Island passed by in a blur for Korra, whose mind couldn't bother to be occupied with the lashing the water set upon the bow of the ferry as it cut through it towards their destination. Not did she give a thought towards the ferry master after they departed the vessel, with him giving his farewells before heading back towards the city's shores. She hardly acknowledged Tenzin's reaction when they arrived with the ex-bender unconscious in his sister's arms. The period between that and when they got Tahno situated in his bed to recuperate passed by in such a blur—the Avatar almost thought it _must_ be only the product of a dream.

Korra said, while only half aware of it, that she would stay with the ex-bender while Kya met with her brothers and the Council to set up plans on how to handle the Hiroshi situation. Korra didn't look his way when Bolin said he wished to join the elder waterbender, or when the two left her alone with the unconscious young man that had saved her life earlier that day.

The reason why Korra was caught up so much in her inner thoughts and mostly unaware of external matters was that her inner conscious was conflicted. Conflicted by the fact that Tahno would step up and take the blow to protect her at the possible sacrifice of his life. Was the move selfish, selfless? He needed her alive to restore his bending, she recalled, and how would her death benefit him any? But then there was that claim Tahno made to her before he passed out—how he'd done it because of a promise he made to Mako about making sure she didn't get hurt.

Mako—the thought of him brought on another realm of conflict involving the ex-bender. How Mako screamed his name when Tahno took damage for her sake—his voice had been flooded with emotional anguish as Hiroshi forcibly loaded him into his mecha, his cries continuing to echo in the same manner until the former businessman shut them out with the hatch's closure to the chamber in his machine.

What was it about the emotion in Mako's cries that was getting to her? And what about all those awkward moments she witnessed between the two young men while she was having her out of body experience? The ones it seemed the two were trying to conceal from everyone else when they didn't think anybody else was watching or listening? Was there something going on that she wasn't aware of? Had Mako been trying to hide his feelings for the former waterbender all this time? _Did_ Mako feel something more for Tahno than just their suggested friendship?

A pained gasp tore her from her inner confliction, bringing her eyes towards the subject of her mental torment. Although he was still apparently unconscious, Tahno cringed, his face contorted into a pained expression. He tossed in bed a bit, emitting a few more pained mewlings before falling still once more.

"I hate to see him like this." Korra turned her head abruptly to spy Ming standing beside her, eyes gazing at Tahno's still form. "I'm thankful this time it's not because of a beat down with some ex-rivals—but I still don't like seeing him like this."

"Yeah—he took the fall to protect me, and something about the whole thing bugs me," Korra replied.

"Tahno promised your boyfriend he'd make sure you got out of this situation unscathed—I overheard Tahno say that to him," Ming informed her. "Take it as a good gesture on his account."

"Sure he wasn't being a little selfish when he chose to do that?" Korra asked him. "Tahno needs me alive to get his bending back, after all."

"Say what you want to—but I think he did it because he's devoted to that boyfriend of yours for all he's done for him," Ming told her. "Tahno was a mess before your bf intervened in his suicide attempt. Your boyfriend gave him a reason to live—and he thinks he owes your boyfriend his life for that."

"I know Tahno has a thing for Mako—but...do you know if there's something going on between them?" Korra asked him.

"How should I know?" Ming shrugged his shoulders. "I can't get inside your boyfriend's mind and find those things out. Besides—I've been keeping an eye on Tahno while he's been in the city, not Mako."

Korra frowned, not feeling convinced either way about her convictions. In fact, she felt even more confused.

"Speaking about Tahno, promises, favors and all that," Ming brought her attention back his way. "I need to ask you one."

"Huh?" Korra looked at him blankly for a few before adding, "What favor?"

"Could, um..." Ming averted his eyes in different directions, gray irises darting around everywhere but on the Avatar's face. "Before you guys depart to go deal with Hiroshi in the North Pole, would you give me one last chance to give Tahno one last...um—" he blushed momentarily. "—Farewell kiss?"

Korra stared at him, taken aback. For several drawn out moments she was speechless, frozen in the same stare without making one minute movement. Finally, her tensed muscles and stark, shocked expression softened and the ability to speak came back to her. "You—what?"

"After you guys leave...I won't see him again," Ming responded, voice becoming pleading as he said, "I need one last moment with him—to feel him—before I cut off ties with him completely. Please—can you do this for me?"

Korra sat down in the chair present in the room, thinking over the concept long and hard. While Korra was in deep contemplation, Ming was distracted by the former waterbender's painful facial twitches as he continued to float in his mental limbo.

"If it's going to take you awhile, I'll leave you to think it over until you can give me an answer," Ming eventually brought her attention back towards him. Korra didn't say anything, only nodding before turning her gaze towards the bedbound former waterbender. While she watched Tahno twitching fitfully in his sleep, Ming made his silent departure.

XoXoX

_After he was all cried out, Rei Jin bid farewell to his son, disappearing into surrounding mauve mists until nothing was left to see of him. Tahno remained entrapped in his mauve hued void for some time afterwards, alone to his thoughts and anguish._

_And then the mauve haze faded away and took on a form of something much more grounded, substantial. A room—one that was familiar to him somehow, it was quaint and simple, but somehow—comfortable._

"_I didn't know when you'd finally show." Tahno turned abruptly at the voice, so casually spoken and familiar. When he pivoted on his feet, he spied a bed running the length near to the room's corner wall, simple in design and it's covering. With one exception: it's single occupant._

_Sitting with his back pressed against the pillows at the headboard—was Mako. His eyes were trained on the ex-bender, calm and natural in their auburn hue. A smile flickered at the corners of his lips, a sense of reassurance in his presence. The ex-bender also caught a flash of relief in his auburn gaze._

"_I was hoping you'd show up soon. It's been getting cold while I've waited around for you here; ever since he stole my bending from me I've been cold. Also, I was getting worried," Mako stated. With a motion of his hand he added, "Come here."_

"_W-what's going on?" Tahno softly stammered as he hesitantly made his way towards where Mako was, eyes searching every corner, every surface, for a clue. He took a seat beside Mako, who shifted over to give him some room. Tahno looked at him cluelessly, not certain what was going on, what to do—say. Without further notice, Mako took him by surprise by leaning in closer, applying pressure to his lips with his own when the gap between them was nonexistent. _

_He felt Mako's fingers caressing circles against his scalp as he closed his eyes, felt himself being drawn closer to the other young man. Caught the sensation of soft, semi plump lips caress, clasp onto, and nibble his own—of a long, flexible projectile pushing forward and exploring the internal curves and caverns of his oral orifice. Brushing up against pearly whites, tasting walls of flesh, tangoing with its equal from that particular realm. _

_It then pulled back, allowing for a periodic break from the claim made on his lips and their inner secrets. He could feel the groan erupting from within as those lips went back to tickling the edges of his, the tongue of his partner welcoming his towards its realm._

"_Mako—"_

_He then got the sensation of hands running everywhere along the length of his body, his taking grip of Mako's shoulders. He felt himself descending downwards, back pressed against the comforting springy mattress beneath them. As the oral invasion continued he felt the other man's hands running up under his shirt, tickling his flesh. Felt the release of a gasp as fingertips grazed his nipples, pinching them softly, teasingly._

_Mako's hands fit to the contours of every one of his angles that they travelled, gaining soft gasps and groans to sharp breath intakes depending on where they roamed. His hands were warm, leaving heat imprints on every inch of flesh they travelled across. _

"_Mako—"_

_Shirts slipped from shoulders, trousers from enclosing limbs, undergarments exposing what they had a tendency to hide as they were thrown about—flesh pressing against flesh as the two that were separate through the material disrobing pressed together, fitting against the grooves and curves of one another with almost perfection._

_The most blissful heat passed between them as lips caressed and gripped, legs and arms entangled, various body parts engaged and disengaged. _

"_Mako—"_

_And then—it became suddenly cold. Every imprint Mako's fingers made felt like trails of ice. Every touch, caress, grasp, clasp, kiss—felt like the touch of death._

_...__**It will all depend**__..._

_So cold, chilling—_

_...__**on what the outcome will be**__..._

_Cold as death—_

_...__**whether he will get it back**__..._

_...__**or **_**not**_._

Tahno awoke with a shock—coated in a cold layer of sweat, his body tingling with electricity, his very cells feeling like they were vibrating. It took him a little while to adjust to his _alien_ surroundings; he was no longer sprawled out on the pavement in the park, but instead bundled up in comfortable—albeit sweat-ridden—cloth layers. Underneath him he recognized the feel of springs—the familiar springiness of his old mattress, his head resting atop a nice, plush pillow.

He couldn't recollect what was memory or reality. He didn't even know if he was awake until he realized somebody was in the room with him. "Took you long enough to come to."

Korra was occupying a chair nearby. The chair Mako had occupied on many previous occasions when he'd awoken after being knocked unconscious various times before. Tahno realized that the room was his, the bed his own. At least—his bed and room on Air Temple Island anyways.

"W-what happened—where's everyone else?" Tahno tried reclining, his muscles complaining as he did so. "Ugh—I feel like I got electrocuted..."

"Probably a pretty close estimate," Korra surmised. "The beam you took for me—it really did a number to you. It took all the healing I could do _and _Kya's expertise to even bring you back from wherever you ended up. When we finally got you back here, they gasped at how haggard you looked. You've been out since yesterday afternoon. I think it's about midmorning now."

As Tahno sat up while dealing with the pain running through every cell in his body, Korra looked at her hands. When the ex-bender took the time to look her way, he noticed conflict written across her face. She dwelled in her inner confliction for a while, not daring to turn an eye his way it seemed. "Why did you take the blow for me, pretty boy?" She suddenly asked, not looking up.

"Like I told you before—I promised Mako I wouldn't let you get hurt," Tahno replied.

"Mako—" Korra finally looked up at him, pursing her lips. "Pretty boy—what were you dreaming about before you came to?"

"What?" Tahno felt heat rising to his face as he recalled his last vision before waking. "Why do you ask?"

"You were dreaming about Mako—weren't you?" Korra's tone sounded somewhere between accusing and plainly curious. The ex-bender's face was burning with heat, to the point where it was almost overwhelming.

"What makes you think I was dreaming about Mako?" Tahno questioned, using his hair to obscure his face to screen his embarrassment from her view.

"Your face just turned bright red—and you kept repeating his name over and over before you woke up," Korra stated, "The way you kept saying it—it sounded erotic."

"Okay, okay—my mind veered off course and stuck me in a strange fantasy with him in it before I woke up," Tahno admitted. "It meant nothing, really. That beam from Hiroshi's damn mecha probably just jumbled up my thoughts pretty badly," he attempted to rationalize it, laugh it off.

She wasn't buying it. "The way you were saying his name before you woke up—the way he screamed _your _name after _you_ took the fall for me yesterday...be truthful with me, pretty boy—has there been something going on between you and Mako? Does he have feelings for you that go beyond just friendship?"

"What about all that makes you think there's something _going on?_" Tahno didn't bother to look her way still.

Korra said, "I've seen the awkward glances you throw each other's way from time to time, the way Mako seems to grow so concerned for you when something happens—or he _thinks_ something's happened—to you. While you two were busy getting _made up_ yesterday, I also recall overhearing Mako say that he couldn't bear to lose you."

Deathly silence fell between them for a good long while; after a point it became too much for the Avatar to bear.

"Please, for the sake of my sanity, pretty boy—just tell me the truth!" Korra shouted, grabbing his attention completely.

"Yes—Mako does like me as more than just a friend!" Tahno shouted back at her, all signs of his previous embarrassment vanishing from his face. "In fact, your _boyfriend_ once confessed that he _might_ love me!"

Korra stared at him wide-eyed, looking like she'd been struck in the face. Then she narrowed her ocean shallows at him. "Mako said that? What, did you seduce him until he finally cracked? Considering your past—how you handled your fans and rivals—"

"No, I didn't _seduce_ him!" Tahno shouted back angrily. "Hell—when he first rescued me, I didn't want anything to do with him or anyone else on this island! He could've chosen to just let me drown that day, and I would've been fine with it! After losing practically everything I cared about or loved—the fame, fortune, the fans, my good reputation, my dignity, my bending...and then what was _most_ important to me, Ming—I didn't want anyone or anything! I just wanted to be left alone so I could die in peace!"

"Then what happened, huh?" Korra remarked, keeping the spark of the argument alive.

"Mako showed that he genuinely wanted to help me out, and—only after I started to realize that—did I even want him around!" Tahno retorted. "In the process...while he kept trying to do that for me—that's when I started falling for him. So don't _even_ use my past as an excuse for what's grown between us now!"

"Have you done anything more than just innocently hold hands?" Korra questioned him.

"Yes."

"Hugged, comforted each other in a way that was more than friendly?"

Tahno hesitated a bit, "...Yes."

Korra then asked, "...Have you guys kissed?"

Again, Tahno hesitated before adding another, "Yes." After a short break in between he added in his defense, "But I kissed him _before _I even knew you two were together! Mako told me how you two kissed while he was still with Asami, even though you were aware of the fact that those two were together! At least when_ I_ kissed him _I_ didn't know you two were together—unlike what you two did behind Asami's back!"

Korra looked like she was holding back pent up anger that wanted to boil over just then. "Tell me this, pretty boy—were you guys ever planning to take the relationship between you two even further than that?"

"Unlike you, I never wanted to pursue anything with him—and Mako wants us to just remain friends because he doesn't want to damage what he has with you," Tahno didn't feel like inserting the fact that he and Mako had slept together, as he didn't think it was relevant considering they never intended to take it past friendship in the first place. Bringing up the fact would only incense the Avatar even further—and he didn't want to say anything else that might splinter her and Mako's relationship permanently at his own doing, or bring him more trouble in the process.

"I can't say that it was the same between you and Mako when it came to Asami though. From what I've learned through all this, you two hid your growing feelings for each other from Asami until they boiled over—and Bolin accidently blabbed the truth to Asami. And from what Mako's pops told me—Koh's hoping to teach you both a lesson for messing with somebody else's affections like that. The Face Stealer foresaw what happened to Mako along with everything else he's foreseen, but only gave _me_ cryptic hints that he would lose his bending." He looked at her with extra serious emphasis as he added, "Koh wants you both to learn from your actions—you and Mako's relationship for one, you using your Avatar responsibilities for frivolous stuff like cheating in a game with Tenzin's kids—through you both having to make some sacrifices."

"After you held back the fact that Mako likes you more than he's willing to let off, you really expect me to believe Mako's dad told you something like that?" Korra snipped derisively.

"If you're so certain that I'm lying about it, go and ask Mako's pops about it _yourself_! You can talk to spirits—so I'm sure you can get in contact with him to ask about it," Tahno responded angrily. "Better yet—go see Koh the Face Stealer and get the answer directly from him! Be careful not to get your face stolen. All it takes is one bit of expressed emotion, and he's got you trapped for eternity!" He paused for a moment before adding with extra heated emphasis, "And the only reason I even held back that information is because Mako told me to!"

Korra couldn't hold back her anger against him any longer; it's boiling over resulting in her slapping the ex-bender harshly across the face. At about the same time the loud resounding crack echoed through the small expanse, the door to the room opened, and in walked Kya, along with Tenzin and Bolin by her side. Lin and Iroh followed up behind them.

"We heard shouting from down the hall," Kya spoke up as they all stood in the doorway, staring at the spectacle. Tahno was busy favoring his newly bruised cheek, while Korra harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest bitterly. "Is everything okay in here?"

"I need to get some fresh air," Korra muttered, heading towards the door in a hurry. The party congregated there automatically moved out of her way, and she stormed out without saying another word.

"It's...nothing," Tahno managed after Korra left, avoiding making eye contact with any of them. "So...did you all come here for a reason, or did you all just want to check in on me?"

"We wanted to inform you both about some plans we've managed to come up with," Tenzin spoke up. "I also wanted to check in on your condition, and notify you about some information your deceased friend told Korra yesterday."

"Is it about the identity of Hiroshi's pet spirit and how Yakone got his bloodbending?" Tahno inquired.

Tenzin showed some surprise with slight widening of his eyes, but in an instant he was back to his usual expression. "Yes, it is."

"I'm already up to date on all that," Tahno told him. "Amon's ghost filled me in on all the gory details while I was out."

"I'll go talk to Korra," Lin insisted. Tenzin gave her a nod, and she slipped out quickly.

"So—what're the plans?" Tahno asked the airbending master.

"Bolin, Iroh and myself have volunteered to track Hiroshi's movements on my brother's skybison, Oogi, so we can see if there might be an angle we can work to intercept him in his trek towards the North Pole," Kya spoke up. "We're hoping also to keep tallies on Hiroshi's activities—see what he does with your three friends and what condition they're currently in. I'm hoping we can get them out of Hiroshi's hands before he hurts them—before he reaches the North Pole like he's planning to."

"I sent word to Chief Unalaq of the Northern Water Tribe about the situation, as well as about your mother's abduction. He promised he'll try to find her before Hiroshi does so we'll have one less hostage to worry about," Tenzin added. "Also, we want you and Korra to head to the Northern Water Tribe by biplane together so that—if Hiroshi arrives there on schedule and we're not able to intercept him—you will both arrive there on time, and by yourselves. Lin plans to take Korra out to the airfield to get in some practice over the next couple days before you both need to depart."

A knot formed in Tahno's throat. "What do you want me to do?"

"Recuperate," Kya told him. "After that beam hit you, you're going to need all the energy you can muster. It took a lot of effort to bring you back."

"Was there a reason Korra took a swing at you?" Bolin asked, stepping into the room more. "I heard the crack when we got here, and I don't think you did that to yourself."

"She's mad at me for something," Tahno replied. "If you want to know why—go ask her about it yourself. My version and hers probably differ, and I'm not looking forward to receiving another one of these if I can help it." His hand was still pressed to his bruised cheek.

"I'll...ask her about it later," Bolin said, turning then to Kya, "Should we be heading now? Hiroshi's got almost a day's head start on us. So we really need to make up for lost time."

"Let me do one last check up on Tahno first," Kya told him. "Why don't you and Iroh get Oogi saddled and ready for the trip? It might just be a long one, so you both might as well be as prepared as you can be."

"Okay," Bolin replied, smiling, before he turned to Iroh and they both headed out. That left the ex-bender alone with the two older siblings.

"I'm going to update Bumi on details," Tenzin spoke up after a pause. To Kya, "Can you make sure to bring him up his afternoon meal before you leave?" He looked at the ex-bender.

"I can do that," Kya said with a smile.

"I'll leave you to your healing session," Tenzin replied. To Tahno specifically, "Whatever issues you and Korra have with each other—get them worked out quickly. We need you both operating at full potential and cooperative with one another, and now's not the time for bitter bickering to get in the way of progress."

Tahno sighed heavily. "I'll...see what I can do."

Tenzin faintly smiled. "I'll be back later to check in on you. Until then." He closed the door behind him. Kya took over the previously occupied chair by the bed, drawing water out of a small basin nearby.

"Let me heal that before it leaves a mark," Kya said, bringing up her water-encased palm. "Now tell me about what happened between you and Korra."

Tahno held it in for a pause, but then let it spill out all at once.

XoXoX

Lin found the young Avatar down by the water, taking out her anxieties through bending. She was currently working on a few waterbending stances, mixing it up with a little bit of earthbending. She hardly noticed Lin's approach, reacting sharply upon hearing the metalbender clear her throat. Korra's rivers of rising water and mounds of earth fell flat as she flinched at the sound. She turned to face the metalbender with a stern expression, arms crossed over her chest in aggravation.

"What—did you come here to talk?" Korra remarked as she watched Lin. The two headstrong women sized each other up with equally flinty stares, neither willing to budge an inch. Eventually Lin brought it to a cease.

"No, I came to get you so we could start your lessons," Lin calmly responded.

Korra stared at her weirdly. "Lessons? For what?"

"Tenzin expects you to fly a biplane up to the North Pole in a few days, and he wants me to teach you how to pilot one," Lin informed her, her stern expression never wavering. "I don't know what it is that caused both you and that young man to clash with one another angrily earlier, and I don't really care—as long as it doesn't get in the way of your responsibilities. And right now—your responsibility is to take instruction from me and follow me to the airstrip to get in your needed practice without complaining."

Korra scowled, but didn't verbally complain. Instead, she followed Lin to the pier, where they caught their needed ferry to bring them to shore on the main land.

XoXoX

After the Council and the authorities were through grilling him for information, the Lieutenant led the young waterbender who had once saved his life, Kami, towards her home. Along the way he stayed stoic as the girl ran over the details of the day she found him injured to him, how she was afraid of being caught, but went ahead and helped him anyways because that was the philosophy her mother taught her. She also told him about all the hospital visits she paid him while he was in his coma, and how saddened she was when she learned he'd abruptly checked out one day and left without saying a word of goodbye.

"Do you hate me for what I am?" Kami's sudden, innocent question broke him from his stoic expression, causing him to focus his pale blue eyes on her in alarm.

"What?" The Lieutenant exclaimed.

"Do you hate me for being a waterbender?" Kami clarified. "I know how you feel about benders. When me and my mom lived on the streets, I kept up on all the info on Amon's campaign."

"I wouldn't have bothered to stand up to Hiroshi Sato in your defense if I did," the Lieutenant replied, resuming his stoic position.

"You know—I have a lot of friends who are nonbenders," Kami stated, moving forward again. "When we lived underground after my dad died, I met a lot of the orphans and cast outs in the city. A lot of them were benders, but many of them weren't. We got along well. We played games to pass the time, and did errands for people to earn a few extra yuans to survive. Never had any problem with anyone trying to be superior over the rest of us down there. We lived together in harmony."

"What...happened to your father?" the Lieutenant bothered to ask. Kami's brightness was briefly marred by melancholy.

"My dad...he was killed in a Satomobile accident," Kami replied, voice choking up. "Three members from one of the triads, waterbenders I think they were, were trying to make a getaway in their vehicle when theirs struck another head on." Tears came to her eyes as she recalled the details. "My father was walking home, and...and—when one of the Satomobiles caught in the accident swerved out of control...one—one of them hit him." While her eyes blurred with tears, she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"..." When Kami cleared her eyes, she noticed that the Lieutenant was trying to formulate words to speak—reassurance, apologies, sincerities, she didn't know.

"When we get back to my place, would you like to stay for dinner?" Kami broke the silence instead, smiling warmly at the man who attempted vainly to give her a response. "It won't be anything fancy, but my mom's a pretty decent cook."

The Lieutenant stopped struggling to come up with the right words, and instead showed the faintest, but most genuine, of smiles. "What does your mother usually cook for dinner?"

XoXoX

It was approaching twilight by the time Lin and Korra reached Asami's private airstrip. In the waning sunlight, they spotted the biplane waiting there for them, one that Ishio and his people had brought over for them to use from Asami's company warehouse.

"For now, you'll take the passenger seat," Lin indicated the seat behind the main, forward laying cockpit. "I'll take this one and demonstrate what you need to learn for you."

Both were garbed in flight goggles and flight attire, and Korra was having a hard time seeing through them. "How am I supposed to see what you're doing with these things on?" she complained.

"If you really need some extra light, use your firebending to give you some," Lin suggested. She got herself situated in the pilot seat, waiting for Korra to get into position. Once the Avatar got in, Lin started up the engine. A little while later they were taking off down the runway and in flight.

"Watch how I operate the controls very carefully," Lin instructed after they had been in the air a few minutes. "You'll need to understand the controls in order to fly efficiently."

Korra was using her firebending like Lin suggested earlier, illuminating the control panel in front of the metalbender with an amber-orange glow. "This isn't as easy as it looks," she commented as she watched Lin changing gears and operating the controls.

"It isn't really that hard to understand," Lin replied. It wasn't Lin's idea of fun taking on the task of instructing the Avatar in the techniques of flight.

"Well—you're more experienced with motor vehicles than I am!" Korra remarked. Korra's attitude about the whole thing was grating on Lin's nerves, but she managed to suppress them—for her sake as well as the Avatar's. If she let them get her better judgment, who knew where their lesson might take them then—

"Just watch what I'm doing very carefully, and you should get it eventually," Lin informed her. Korra grunted in frustration, but didn't complain any further.

"Why do relationships with guys have to be so frustrating?" Korra griped unexpectedly.

"That what the whole ordeal was about earlier?" Lin asked with casual curiosity.

Korra didn't respond.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I'm not going to ask," Lin stated, keeping her eyes on the controls. "Pay careful attention as I—"

"Tahno finally admitted that Mako's developed feelings for him, claiming that Mako might've even fallen in love with him," Korra let spill forth all of a sudden, interrupting the metalbender in the process. "It annoys me that they both have been trying to hide the fact—even more so that they aren't doing a good job hiding it. Also, considering pretty boy's past—I don't know if I should trust his word when he said he _didn't_ try to seduce Mako into liking him, let alone if I should believe him when he said that Mako's developed feelings for him because of that."

"Wouldn't know what to tell you, since that's not my area of expertise," Lin commented. "Was there more, or can we get back to the lesson?"

Korra didn't seem to hear her completely. "After he admitted that they kissed, Tahno defended himself by saying that at least when he kissed Mako, it was innocent—that he wasn't aware of the fact that me and Mako are together. He had to point out the fact that the first time me and Mako kissed—which I guess he learned about from Mako or Asami—that I was aware of the fact that Mako and Asami were together at the time and did it anyways. He also had the nerve to tell me that Mako's father told him that the Face Stealer was disappointed with how Mako and me didn't consider Asami's feelings as our feelings for each other grew. That because of that the Koh _wanted_ Mako to lose his bending as a lesson to us both for that."

Korra heard Lin sigh then. "From what I learned in my experience with Tenzin, you can't control the way men act or feel in a relationship, that you can only try to find a way to make things work out. If you can't find a way to do that—it's probably best to move on."

"Is it true that you locked Pema in jail when you first learned she and Tenzin were seeing each other?" Korra asked her.

"I was mad at the both of them at first, but I realized eventually that things between me and Tenzin weren't going to work out, so I let him go," Lin responded. "He wanted a family, while I didn't. I understand the reason why we had to go our separate ways romantically now, even though at the time I didn't. I've discovered over time it was the best for the both of us, and I'm happier not carrying the burden of denying Tenzin of what he truly desired."

"Should I be angry at pretty boy for falling for Mako, or vice versa?" Korra asked her.

"I can't tell you whether you should be or not," Lin stated.

"Well—he did say that he couldn't help falling for Mako...especially after all that Mako did for him..." Korra sighed. "—And he's right about the fact that we hurt Asami's feelings when Mako and I hid ours from her until it became a complete mess. We didn't really handle that situation very well." She paused to think before adding, "I guess I'll just have to get this cleared up by talking to Mako's father's spirit. As much as it's hard for me to admit it—pretty boy has changed a lot since Amon took his bending from him, and considering all that he's gone through..." She sighed heavily. "Maybe he's telling the truth when he said he didn't want any of this to happen, that he didn't want to pursue anything with Mako because he knew Mako and I are together. Plus—he did save my life yesterday, and put his own life at risk in the process."

"You have to make up your own mind on the matter. I won't be of much help to you in that situation of yours," Lin stated. "Are you ready to get back to continuing with our lessons, or did you have more to say?"

"Actually—I think you did help me out some," Korra informed her. "I think I understand the situation better now." She smiled before saying, "Yeah—I think I'm ready to get back to where we left off."

"That's good to hear," Lin replied, relieved.

"I hope Asami won't kill me if I crash one of her biplanes," Korra stated as she got back into the right mindset for taking instructions.

"I'll make sure you learn how to efficiently pilot and land this craft so you won't have to worry about making that kind of mistake," Lin told her. "Now, this is what you do first—"

XoXoX

The sun was resting on the edge of the horizon by the time Korra finished up her flying lessons with Lin. They both went their separate ways, with Korra returning to Air Temple Island for the night.

She was currently watching the sun shed the last vestiges of it's amber and nectarine rays on the skies in the distance, her legs dangling below her while she sat at the edge of the pier to take it all in.

She was thinking about her talk with Lin; Korra was still troubled by a couple details regarding her conflict with the ex-bender earlier. Talking with Lin had helped her clear away a lot of her mental torment regarding the situation, but she still felt like she needed some more clarification before she could confront Tahno again and try to make amends with him.

She needed to talk to Mako's father to get the rest of it cleared up, but she didn't know where to start looking—or for that matter who to look for. While she was busy trying to put together a plan on how to go about doing that while watching the sun slip from the sky, the very spirit she intended to seek out sought her instead.

"Avatar Korra?" Korra almost fell headfirst off the edge of the pier at the abrupt sound of a voice coming from behind. In her haste to collect her bearings she quickly got to her feet to face the culprit, coming face to face with a dark-haired, medium-aged man with familiar eyes. Eyes that reminded her of somebody...two brothers she knew—

"Yeah? What do you want?" Korra's nerves were still too tightly wound for her to conceive the thought to respond more politely. Her ocean shallows met up with her spirit visitor's eyes, transfixing with them in a daring sort of stare down.

"I wanted to talk to you," The man replied, holding her gaze without any sense of feeling intimidated. "It's about my son."

"Son..." Korra trailed, thinking about it a moment. Her eyes widened finally in recognition. She _knew_ now why he seemed so familiar—"You're...Mako's dad."

"Yes." Korra had to sit down. She was feeling too overwhelmed to stay standing up. She went back to dangling her feet off the ledge of the pier, bending the water beneath her legs to collect her thoughts. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed her visitor take a seat by her side.

Korra looked up at him, with so many questions running through her mind that she wanted to ask him, but only one came out. "This is about something you told pretty—I mean, Tahno—isn't it?"

"Partially." She got in response.

"So..." She watched the water surging beneath her feet at her willing. "...Tahno said that you told him...um—that Koh wants to teach me a lesson—me and Mako both, for the mistakes we've made together and some of the ones I've made on my own." She tore her eyes away from the water to look directly at Mako's father. "Is that really what Koh wants with me—me and Mako both—or did Tahno just say that to make me angry?"

"I heard word circulating around that Koh foresaw what was happening, so I personally consulted with Koh after I learned a friend of Tahno's was working for the Face Stealer," Mako's father told her. "It wasn't an easy task; it took some time and effort to seek out the Face Stealer. When I was able to, Koh, in his usual method of relying on riddles, tales and cryptic details—from what I could decipher of what he said anyways—seemed to insinuate that there was truth in what I'd heard, and that what Tahno told you was also true."

"So...Mako losing his bending was a lesson for us both," Korra stated.

"Yes."

"Was that the only sacrifice Koh wanted us both to make, or was there more he wants me—or both of us—to sacrifice to satisfy him?" Korra asked, eyes back on the water. The sun was fading fast from the sky, the last hints of amber coloring dancing faintly across the ripples her movements created. Mako's father didn't reply instantly. Korra continued to keep her eyes glued to her feet, the water she was channeling the movements of with each shift they made, and the dying light reflecting brilliantly off each movement.

"I believe Koh wants more from you both, but it isn't my place to tell you what he wants exactly," He finally responded, something in his eyes showing a burden weighing heavily on him. "For more, you're going to have to consult with Koh himself for the information."

"Oh." Korra shoulders sagged in disappointment. "I...guess when I get to the Northern Water Tribe I'll have to do that." Korra shifted her feet while they quietly sat there for a while. After some time passed, she broke the silence. "Do you...know anything about what's going on between pre—I mean Tahno, and Mako?"

"I know that the former waterbender openly admitted to loving my son," Mako's father replied.

"Do...you think he could've...seduced Mako into liking him as more than just a friend?" Korra asked him.

"I've watched their interactions here on the island when they don't notice I'm there, and from what I've witnessed...I don't believe the former waterbender was trying to seduce my son." Mako's father looked seriously at Korra before adding, "In fact—Tahno didn't want to have anything to do with him or anyone else here at first. Mako's persistence is what got Tahno to eventually open up to him—accept his presence until it developed...into something more for the both of them."

"So...I guess I can't blame Tahno for what happened between the two of them, can I?" Korra said.

"No, probably not."

Korra sighed heavily. "Do you think...Mako still loves me?"

"I heard him say that he does on a few occasions," Mako's father assured her. She smiled faintly at that. "I could see it in your eyes earlier that you have a lot of questions you want to ask me apart from the ones you already have, so why don't we just...chat for a little while?" Mako's father brought her eyes back up to him. His eyes were friendly and familiar; she could see where Mako bore much of his resemblance.

"Yeah," Korra smiled minutely. "I'd like to know more about what happened to you and Mako's mother. He...always had a hard time talking about your deaths. And it's not like Bo has much to say on the matter—not like Mako does anyways."

They both sat out there, talking until the light completely faded from the sky and the horizon was taken over by inky darkness and the illumination of city lights in the distance. In the end, Korra felt more at peace with the situation between her and the ex-bender, enough to attempt to make her amends with him anyways.


	21. Chapter 21

_It has been a while since I last posted, hasn't it? Besides dealing with my sister college graduation and some volunteer work lately, I've been trying to work on another story idea I've got going, and I guess I back burnered this one to concentrate solely on that in my free time. Yikes!_

_Well, I've hit a road block with that one of today, so I figured I spend my free time getting a few chapters proofread and posted for the fic. The first couple are a little slower than some past ones, but it picks up pace in a few, don't worry :-)_

_Anyways, hope you all enjoy the latest installments!_

XoXoX

After Tahno told Kya the whole story, she smiled at him.

"_I can understand why she's mad at you."_ Kya had told him before getting to her feet. "_But I know you didn't try to provoke the situation with Mako either. I was there not long after you arrived on Air Temple Island, and from what I witnessed firsthand, I know you didn't pressure Mako into a relationship. I know...with what you've been through in the past several months...that you couldn't do that—even if you'd wanted to."_

Kya left after saying that, coming back a short time later with his meal. Not long afterward she left again, but not before wishing him luck with his reconciliation with Korra, and their upcoming plane trip. She then went off to catch up with Bolin and Iroh so they could head out.

Tahno spent the rest of the afternoon pacing his room, contemplating his situation, his thoughts, and Mako. He thought back on all he'd learned from Mako's father, Amon, Mrs. Sato and his own father while he was in his comatose state—and about his erotic dream involving Mako before he woke up. He started to blush as he thought it over, rattled when his daydream was abruptly halted as Tenzin came by with his dinner.

"I see you're recovering from the incident yesterday," Tenzin noted as he set the tray of food down on the surface of the chair. "Korra said she'd be stopping by in a short while to talk to you."

Tahno felt that knot from earlier reemerging in his throat. "What'd she say she wanted to talk about?"

"Getting whatever issues are going on between you and her figured out," Tenzin replied. "I'll leave you to eat before she arrives." As he said that, he left in much the same manner as he arrived. The room was quiet upon his departure, and Tahno took the opportunity to lift the lid on the tray and see what was for dinner. It was the island's usual fare, cuisine fit for any proud vegetarian. Not exactly Tahno's favorite, but he ate it without complaints. It was satisfying enough for him, and that was all that mattered just then.

A short time later Korra made her presence known when she entered the room. When she came in, he was just taking a seat on the corner of his modest bed. She said not a word as she took over the chair, moving the tray to the floor first before taking a seat.

"If you're gonna scream or curse at me, let's get it over with," Tahno said to her when the tension in the room felt like it was suffocating him. Korra looked up at him, expression unreadable.

"Actually, I didn't come to fight," Korra replied. "I—came to see if we could attempt to make amends for earlier."

Tahno was taken aback, and clearly expressed it. "What brought you to that decision?"

"I let go of a lot of the steam I held in while me and Beifong were getting in some flying lessons this afternoon. We talked while she demonstrated what to do with me. Actually—it was more like I talked, and she listened," Korra stated. "I—also took your advice...and sought out Mako's father."

"Did you find him?" Tahno asked her.

Korra nodded. "It took some time to find him, considering I didn't know who I was looking for by appearance, but eventually he approached me, and we had a nice little chat."

"Did he back up what I told you?" Tahno asked her.

"Yeah, he did," Korra admitted. "I'm...not happy that you and Mako have developed feelings for each other, but I...I don't think you seduced him into liking you anymore. Mako's dad informed me about the details from his own perspective."

"Thank the spirits for that," Tahno stated with some irony.

"Did Tenzin fill you in on the information your deceased boyfriend Ming told me about?" Korra ask him after a long pause set in between them.

"He didn't have to, _Amon_ caught me up while I was comatose," Tahno replied. "Also...um—while I was out cold... Asami's mother visited me, and I also learned that Hiroshi's pet spirit was responsible for something else that happened with...well—me."

"Asami's mom, huh?" Korra smiled faintly. "What was she like, what'd she say?"

"She wants me to assure Asami that she doesn't stand by her so-called father's claims," Tahno said. "Along with some other more minor stuff. As for what she's like...I'm glad Asami got all her looks from her mother."

"Pretty?" Korra asked him. He nodded.

"Very," Tahno stated.

"Yeah...I can agree that Asami is very pretty," Korra stated awkwardly. She rouged very faintly. "Sometimes I wish I could be more like her, you know?"

"You should tell that to her sometime," Tahno told her. "I was talking to her about you once, and Asami told me she really admired you."

"For what?" Korra asked him.

"Helping her keep her father's business afloat when Hiroshi's rep almost sunk it. Also went into a spiel on all your traits she particularly admired—you know, that sort of thing," Tahno said. "If you want specifics, you'll have to ask her about it. I can't remember everything she said."

"Yeah...I guess I'll do that sometime," Korra replied. "Hey—didn't you mention something about Hiroshi's spirit being responsible for something that's happened to you?"

"Apparently I've been a pawn in Hiroshi's little game from practically the beginning—or at least for his pet spirit anyways," Tahno remarked, embittered. "The spirit had that old crime boss, Yakone, possess the guy who assaulted me some months back, you know...the incident I blabbed about to...um—Mako's brother, Bolin in the—Southern Water Tribe."

Korra's eyes widened in shock. "Geez—I guess when Mako said you had as much of a reason to fight Hiroshi as the rest of us, he wasn't kidding."

"I'd say—even though I didn't know about it until I was forced to relive the whole ordeal in a bad dream," Tahno responded, cringing at that thought.

"Hey pretty boy, while you were out earlier...your deceased boyfriend asked me to do him a favor," Korra said after a while. The ex-bender looked up at her.

"Favor?" Tahno replied. "Like what?"

"H-he wanted to know if I would, um—"

"I'm sorry to hear that Hiroshi's spirit helper was responsible for that man," Ming appeared out of thin air, cutting Korra off in midsentence. "I didn't know."

"I'll make that bastard and his pet spirit pay for it, you can bet on that," Tahno claimed. "Hey, Korra—weren't you saying something before Ming popped in? Some favor Ming asked you?"

"Oh, hey—did you come to a decision on that?" Ming brightened up, looking at Korra. She raised an eyebrow at him, staring back uncomfortably.

"I might've—but if you make a big deal out of it, I might change my mind," Korra remarked.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Tahno looked from one to the other a few times.

"I asked her if she'd give me a chance to kiss you one last time," Ming told him before Korra could speak. The Avatar frowned, her face red with frustration.

Tahno blanched. "You—what?"

"He wanted to know if I'd allow him to voluntarily possess me so he could get in one last make out session with you before he has to say goodbye," Korra stated, perturbed. She looked at Ming with annoyance. "I owe Tahno for that stunt I pulled on him in the South Pole, so I guess I'll agree to do it."

"Huh?" Ming looked from her to the ex-bender perplexingly.

"She possessed me so she could get in a make out session with Mako," Tahno told him uncomfortably.

"If we're going to do this, let's get it over with before I change my mind," Korra muttered irritably. "One thing though—promise you won't go any farther that that. I'd feel a little squeamish if you...did that."

"I promise to not go further then that," Ming promised without an iota of humor.

"How am _I_ going to get something out of it when its being done like that?" Tahno questioned him.

"Just close your eyes and imagine its me," Ming told him. "I just need this once, and I'll take whatever I can get to have it."

"Okay, whatever," Tahno became fidgety. "If we're really going to go through with this, let's get it over with already."

Ming smiled faintly. To Korra, "You ready?"

"Probably as much as I'm ever gonna be," Korra said. "Like Tahno said—let's just get this over with."

Slowly the three of them, all flustered, tried to prepare for the ordeal. Ming eventually shifted with the Avatar's form until he was controlling her senses willingly. In a flash her eyes took on that characteristic glossed over look, with flashes of grey hinted in her ocean shallows hued irises. Slow and unsteadily she took one step after another towards the bed where Tahno was sitting—or Ming did, in a body he wasn't accustomed to, or physical presence he'd almost forgotten the feeling of after being separate from it for so long. Tahno watched the approach blankly until she was standing right in front of him.

Rigidly Korra—Ming—bent in low, taking the ex-bender's face in both hands. To ease the awkwardness, Tahno did as the ex-earthbender suggested, closing his eyes in order to imagine the maneuver was being enacted by Ming, and not the Avatar whom he was possessing. He felt unexpected tears trickle down his face as he sensed the heat of a face leaning in nearer, overwhelmed by emotion for the finality in the imminent gesture.

Even knowing whom it was that was physically connecting with him; Tahno felt familiarity in it as warm lips linked up with his. He ignored the thoughts telling him it was the Avatar, telling himself instinctively that it really _was_ Ming—that the former earthbender really was physically there and was the one kissing him.

It helped that the gesture was indeed as familiar as the former waterbender warmly remembered it; lips offering gentle pressure as they started out their exploration before growing slightly more aggressive in their venture for passion, seeking to explore every possible realm they were capable of. The other's tongue softly caressing the borders of his mouth before pressing forward with given permission, tickling his tastebuds with a brush against its own as it curiously explored further. Gliding over pearly whites before pulling back and giving its likeness an invitation towards its realm. The ex-bender forgot completely that he was invading the Avatar's oral space as he took the invitation, darting his tongue forward to replicate the maneuver previously done by his partner's.

It wasn't until long after they separated and he finally opened his eyes again did Tahno see Korra standing there instead of Ming. Ming was by her side, a separate entity once again. Tahno didn't know how it was possible, but he could swear he saw the former earthbender's eyes glistening with tears.

"Thanks Korra for giving me that chance," Ming told the Avatar gratefully.

Korra smiled crookedly at him. "Glad you got something out of it, although—I've gotta say...pretty boy—I-I mean Tahno—" She looked his way sheepishly. "You're—actually...not a bad...um—kisser."

"Yeah...okay—thanks," Tahno muttered, embarrassed.

"Well...um—I've got to get in a few more hours with Beifong on flying a biplane so I don't crash-land us when we reach the North Pole," Korra's eyes darted awkwardly around. "I'll...see you later." She practically bolted for the door in a flustered rush. As soon as she was out the door Ming broke out in laughter. Tahno looked at him absurdly, calming the ex-earthbender down rather quickly.

"Would you really have gone through with those _private lessons _you offered her at Narook's that one time if she'd taken you up on them?" Ming asked him out of the blue.

Tahno gave him the strangest stare he'd ever directed his way. "Ming?"

Ming looked at him expectantly. "Yeah?"

Tahno disappointed him. "Shut up."

XoXoX

During the first few days of travel Kanani buried her suspicion over her and her husband's hasty departure, trying to rationalize it with the excuse he gave her; that it was due to his brother being terminally ill that they left in such a hurry. But as days passed, as they grew closer to their destination—or their supposed destination—the more her suspicion rose from its inner depths and clouded her mind.

What brought up her suspicions even more was the way Unrak acted towards her. He seemed almost to ignore her existence except when he had to. It was also their unexpected _detour_ that threw up red flags in her mind—when they got off the last travelling vessel to make the rest of the trip by a single person operated raft instead.

Her suspicions felt validated as they moved farther and farther from any hints of civilization, as Unrak parked their raft along an isolated icy shore and instructed her harshly to follow him ashore. She did so without incident, for loyalty to her beloved, or because she felt she had no other real option.

They walked along through the icy tundra for some time before he finally told her to stop. When they halted, Kanani came face to face with an icy underground tunnel.

"Your brother lives in an ice cave?" Kanani couldn't help but ask. She hadn't been to Unrak's brother's place yet—only heard him speak fondly of it—but she was certain he would've made his home somewhere more...civilized, and warmer for that matter.

Unrak didn't respond, just glaring at her fiercely before pointing out that she was to enter the premises. It was once again she noticed the same opaque haze clouding his eyes that she had witnessed several times over the past several days.

Kanani looked at him quizzically, shrugging her shoulders in question. Unrak kept up the same rigid gesture, never faltering from it. After time passed and she noticed her husband wasn't either going to answer her or change his position on his demands, she gave in and entered the ice cave like he was quietly instructing her to.

She took one last glance at the ice-capped landscape around her, sighing heavily before turning to head inwards.

XoXoX

At least a day and a half passed since Hiroshi abducted them from Republic City, and in that time, Asami had watched Mako grow slowly weaker in appearance. He hardly was awake enough to communicate with her or Shaozu, and she was growing more and more concerned for him as time passed.

Since their capture, her so-called father had made certain to provide his captives with nourishment and breaks. Of course, they were always heavily guarded every time they were allowed to leave their captivity inside his machine—people from whatever town he was paying a visit to were always possessed by some sort of _spell _put upon them by Hiroshi's spirit _aide_, or what Asami liked to call it—the _spirit in the machine._

She didn't know how she was going to accomplish it, but Asami knew she needed to make a run for it. She needed to get in contact with somebody—anybody—who could get word back to Tenzin and whoever was still in the city that there was something wrong with Mako.

Asami hoped that some of her companions, maybe even Korra herself, were out there pursuing Hiroshi's trail. With that in mind she also hoped—in the process of trying to recapture her—that they would catch up to him and maybe—just _maybe—_be able to take her father and his mecha out before he could accomplish whatever goal he had for her and the other two in the North Pole.

XoXoX

Kya was checking into the most recent Hiroshi sighting she was aware of. Leaving the two young men at the outskirts of town with Oogi, Kya went in to town to gather some information.

Most of the reports Kya had received thus far in their travels were anything but enlightening. From reports of Hiroshi practicing his procedure on a few benders he came across along the way—there was at least one confirmed case to attest to the claims' validity—in order to instill fear in any benders he came across, to scant details she managed to uncover about his three young captives, Kya wasn't feeling nearly as optimistic as she normally would.

Kya learned that one person in town in particular had some details on Hiroshi's captives. Her main purpose in town was to discover their whereabouts and ask that person what they knew. She discovered that her _person of interest_ was a middle-aged woman, a nonbender who lived on the edge of town named Miki. The woman, whose husband had passed a few years back, lived alone in her humble abode.

Kya knocked on the door, greeted kindly by Miki to come in. Kya was shown to a chair in the main room by an adequate fireplace, given some tea by Miki before the woman sat down to hear the elder waterbender out.

"Yes, a man fitting that description paid a visit to my home," Miki said, making a face while she spoke. "He came to use my home as a rest stop for his three young prisoners, and stole some food and supplies before he left with the three youths. The whole time he had me under some kind of enchantment—like something outside myself was controlling my every action and everything I said. It was unnerving; I was thankful when that man left."

"What did Hiroshi take?" Kya asked, taking a sip of her tea.

"Some food, clothes that once belonged to my late husband, and a garment for the young lady in their company," Miki replied. She sighed somberly. "I felt bad for his three young captives. One of the boys looked a little ill, and more than just a little dazed."

"Which boy was it?" Kya asked. "The one you said was sick, I mean?"

"The young man with the dark, short hair and goldish-brown eyes," Miki responded. "When that man arrived with the three, the poor young lad was dressed in, well—a dress. Thankfully he left better dressed than when he arrived."

"How sick did he look, and could you tell me with what?" Kya asked her.

"The young man looked like his life energy was being drained right out of him," Miki replied with sadness. "I don't know what that man subjected those three to, but I'd say that young man must've been run through the ringer to look so...dejected and lifeless."

"What can you tell me about the other two?" Kya asked her.

"The young woman looked to be the liveliest in the bunch. Her green eyes shone with daggers every time I was able to notice her looking in the man's direction. The other young man looked a little weary, but still alert," Miki told her.

Kya asked her a few more questions before excusing herself and thanking the woman for the information and her hospitality. Miki in turn told how she felt obliged to help her out; that she didn't like that man—as she'd addressed Hiroshi as during their entire meeting—and was happy to provide her the information she needed about him.

XoXoX

Asami tried once more to grab Mako's attention, but wherever he consciously was, it wasn't of his surroundings. She looked towards Shaozu, who seemed aware of things more so than Mako.

"Shaozu?" She tried calling out to him without alerting her father. She tried again when the first didn't garner a response. "Shaozu?" He reacted finally, looking like she'd awoken him from deep slumber. He jerked his head to and fro a bit before turning his attention directly towards her.

"Huh?" Shaozu responded groggily. "Yeah?"

"I need your help with something," Asami told him, inching ever so slightly his way. Hiroshi remained focused on the controls while she continued to do so.

"With what?" Shaozu's eyes kept going from her to Hiroshi, hoping his voice was low enough for the former businessman to not hear him.

"I'm hoping you can help me loosen my bindings," Asami told him. "During one of our next rest breaks, I want to try and escape."

"Are you nuts?" Shaozu exclaimed. She looked at him particularly. "Okay, okay—I'll see what I can do to help out. You're gonna need to bring your restraints up behind my back; my hands are stuck in place back there."

"I can do that," Asami replied. She scooted over until she was in just the right position.

"So—what made you decide to do this?" Shaozu asked, whispering in her ear.

"Mako," Asami looked in his direction. "Something's wrong with him, and I've gotta at least try and do something to distract my father until we can get him help."

Shaozu looked in Mako's direction. "Yeah—he does look like he's sick or something."

"I'm worried that my father did something that's making him sick," Asami said, hints of distress in her whispered voice. "Can you make any progress with my restraints?"

"Yeah, I've got a good grip on them," Shaozu whispered back. "Can you help me with mine at all? If I'm loosened up some, I can maybe distract the bastard long enough for you to escape."

"Sure."

XoXoX

Mei Lin had been by her father's bedside in the hospital the past few days, watching over him as he remained in a stable coma. In all the chaos, Hiroshi's cohorts had knocked her father about rather roughly before locking him up. She had been thrown in with him some time later, when it was realized they had some use for her. What use that was, she didn't know.

She had been out for a while herself, pretty much since the day she and Shaozu were separated from one another. The one who abducted her had knocked her out cold and kept her drugged until the United Forces officials, who had shown up on the scene at some point, liberated her cell in the jail ward from Hiroshi's occupation. When she finally was revived, she was in a hospital bed and clueless on what happened. Somebody had to explain to her what occurred and how she got there, and then she'd asked about her father.

In the frenzied search for her father's whereabouts, she hadn't had much time to ponder Shaozu's. As she watched over her father's still figure, she worried about where he was, what had happened to him. She could only hope he was somewhere safe, and had only been unable to find her in the rush. While she was watching over her father, an officer from Chief Beifong's forces came by to check in on her and her father. She smiled warmly as he entered the little room, getting to her feet to shake his hand. He introduced himself as Ishio.

"How have you been doing since your release?" Ishio asked as she showed him to a chair, taking a seat at the end of her father's bed herself.

"I've been well, and my father's recovering nicely," Mei Lin responded. "Is this a...routine check-in?"

"Actually, there is more to the nature of my visit then just that," Ishio responded, voice sounding apologetic. "I learned through some sources that you are acquainted with a young man named Shaozu? That you are, perchance, his girlfriend?"

"Yes," Mei Lin responded, becoming more emotional as she went on to ask, "Is Shaozu okay? Did something happen to him? I've been worried about him since we were separated some time back, but have been so busy watching over my father that I haven't been able to search for him. I hope nothing bad has happened to him."

"I'm afraid the news I bring you isn't the most optimistic," Ishio replied, "Shaozu was taken prisoner the night before Hiroshi's demonstration, and—from some sources I have questioned—I was told he was one of three captives that Hiroshi took with him before he departed from the city. He currently is in Hiroshi's custody, and we have yet to track down and capture Sato."

Mei Lin gasped. "Do you know if Shaozu is okay at all? Has that madman hurt him at all?"

"Reports that have come in seem to suggest Hiroshi's keeping him intact, and I promise we'll get him back to you okay and in one piece," Ishio assured her.

"How can you be certain you'll be able to do that?" Mei Lin questioned him.

"Let's just say I have a feeling he'll come out of this in good shape," Ishio replied.

"I hope you speak the truth," Mei Lin said, getting to her feet. "Thank you for informing me of Shaozu's situation. I'm thankful I won't have to worry that he's hurt lying in an alley somewhere."

"I wish the news could be better," Ishio told her. She smiled faintly.

"Please keep me updated on anything you learn?" Mei Lin asked. Ishio shook her hand.

"I will."

XoXoX

By the time Kya returned to where Bolin and Iroh were with Oogi, it was reaching midday. Bolin was doing random earthbending exercises while Iroh watched as she approached. Bolin let his most recent earthen _tower_ crumble to the ground upon noticing Kya.

"Did you learn anything?" Bolin asked as Kya drew near. She nodded, smiling sadly.

"Hiroshi did indeed make a stop here," Kya told him. "A woman in town said her home was raided by Hiroshi for supplies and used as a rest stop for your brother, Asami, and Tahno's friend."

"Anything on where they might be heading next?" Iroh spoke up as he joined them.

"One witness indicated that he saw Hiroshi head north," Kya replied.

"What'd you find out about my bro and the other two?" Bolin asked. "Are they holding up okay?"

"Asami and Tahno's friend appear to be fine in the mean time," Kya told him, eyes losing all hopeful shine as she added, "Mako, however...the witness described him as being listless—like something Hiroshi did to him was draining the life out of him."

"How long ago was it that Hiroshi stopped in this town?" Iroh asked calmly as Bolin stalked off seething in anger.

"Last night," Kya replied. "If we hurry, we might make some ground on him. From what I've learned he's made a habit of putting on a few demonstrations with benders he catches along the way. I can only hope it slows him down enough for us to catch up to him."

"It's unfortunate it comes to something like that to give us something to use to our advantage," Iroh noted grimly. Kya nodded solemnly.

"I can only hope we can find a way to reverse the procedure," Kya told him. "We should cover as much ground as we can before nightfall. The moon has been near full the last couple nights, but even that won't provide the most efficient light to travel by after sundown." Iroh nodded, following her over to where Bolin had wandered off. The three then climbed back up on Oogi's back and continued on their way.

XoXoX

Nightfall was fast approaching. At least, that's what Asami was able to tell when Hiroshi opened the hatch to his mecha to make one of his routine stops. Another small town, she wagered, and another supply run and rest stop. She was itching to move her legs and stand, as her legs had been in the same position for several hours now.

She also anticipated a rest stop because she was itching to make a bolt for it. Over the past several hours, she and Shaozu had worked on loosening up each other's bindings, getting them loosened enough to just where they wanted them. They hid the fact by feigning still being tightly restrained, holding the ropes and chains tightly together with one of their supposedly confined hands behind their backs.

As with each time before, Hiroshi left them alone for a time in the confines of his machine with the hatch closed, fetching a few people in town to use as his guardians over his three captives while they were out and about. A short time later Hiroshi came back, shouting harsh orders to his newest, possessed recruits to get the trio out of the mecha and to watch over them closely in the process.

The only thing Asami allowed herself to acknowledge through her rough handling was the faces of Hiroshi's newest possessed. Two men, two women—all who looked like normal young adults by everyday, ordinary standards—besides the fact that they had a lackluster film over their probably usually clear and vivid eyes. Even with how rough they handled her as they dragged her from the mecha, she knew they were just as much victims in this as she was. She felt bad that Hiroshi made them into his pawns to do his dirty work.

Grasslands stretched around them for miles on three sides. The forth side was occupied by dense forest. Asami's eyes were drawn in that direction, knowing that's where she'd have to head once she made her escape. She wondered if she'd get the chance to do that, however—

All of a sudden, the earth beneath them rose up unexpectedly. It carried Hiroshi and his _helpers _up with it while leaving the other three on ground level. Asami was frozen in place while she heard the cries of alarm coming from the still rising mound.

"Asami, run for it!" Shaozu's voice broke her from her trance. Without a second thought, she let her bindings fall to the ground and bolted with all her strength towards the tree line. She turned back suddenly, thinking about the two she was leaving behind.

"Why are you still standing there?" Asami shouted back at Shaozu, who hadn't made an effort to follow her.

"Go! "Shaozu yelled back. "I'm staying with Mako, so get outta here before he can catch you!"

Asami didn't think twice about it. She ran for the trees, and disappeared into the forest.

XoXoX

_He didn't know how, but Mako knew the right places to touch, and just how to touch them. His every touch—grip of his lips, caress of his hands, teasing pinch or squeeze his fingers activated—each maneuver was done expertly, and left the most sensual sensations, impassioned heat imprints. Heat imprints as fingers danced across flesh, barren of and underneath fabric, as those fingers grasped at flesh, teased it, caused gasps and groans spurring on further sensual satisfactions. It all seemed a fantasy as kisses and grasps eventually led to flesh pressing against flesh. _

_As soon as those enclosing fabrics were discarded and those magic fingers danced gracefully only across skin did the fantasy transform into nightmare. Those magic fingers suddenly turned every piece of flesh they brushed against to ice, created rises of gooseflesh wherever there was contact made. _

_Mako's luxuriant touch became cold and unwanted. Chilling and eerie, and insinuated with death—_

Tahno awoke with a start, breathing hard. His mind couldn't seem to break from the subtleties of the vision he'd awoke from, the chilling fingers running across his skin still leaving icy imprints up and down his spine. He sat up, shaking all over, as if infected with a ghastly chill. It took him a while to chase it away, to stop shuddering.

He had no grasp on time, although it still seemed early. Sometime in the morning he was departing with Korra, and he needed as much rest as he could get. But each time he closed his eyes, that dream chose to haunt him.

It would have pleasant—if not for the chill he got from it. What was it about the dream that left an imprint on him even after he awoke? What did the dream even _mean_—if anything at all? Tahno didn't want to think about it, and pushed it from his thoughts as he fought to regain some semblance of slumber before morn.


	22. Chapter 22

In their pursuit of Hiroshi, Kya and company discovered four dazed people standing at the edge of a field some distance from the nearest town. Curious, Kya reined Oogi in for a landing to see what was up.

"Why are you all standing out here at this time of night?" Kya called out to them as she and the two young men in her company dismounted from the skybison. They looked as if broken from a trance upon hearing the sound of her voice, looking around aimlessly a few moments before noticing the approaching trio's presence.

"Um...why are you guys standing around like that?" Bolin asked, as they grew closer. One young man in the bunch looked their direction.

"We..." the man began, but was shortly interrupted before he could get any farther.

"The crazy man in his flying machine was controlling them to do his bidding before he took off again, chasing a girl that got away from him," a young boy emerged from behind one lone standing tree and joined them. He looked to be about ten or twelve, his face a little dirty but bright. "I was spying on him when he snatched my brothers and sisters off our farm nearby, and I scared him off when I surprised him with a special earthbending maneuver of mine. He loaded the two guys he had with him back inside his machine before he took off looking for the girl."

"Sounds like Hiroshi," Bolin noted. Both Kya and Iroh nodded in agreement. "Hey, how long ago was the crazy man here? And what direction did he take off in?"

"About two hours ago," The boy replied. "He went that way—chasing the girl who got away." He pointed towards the forest.

"What did the girl look like?" Kya asked, although she was sure she knew the identity of that said _girl._

The boy grinned brightly. "She was really pretty; she had long, wavy black hair and really nice green eyes when I caught sight of them in the moonlight."

"Asami," Bolin noted aloud.

"If we're going to catch up to her before Sato does, we better get moving," Iroh spoke up. Kya nodded. Bolin was already on his way back towards Oogi.

"Thanks for your help," Kya told the boy. "We really appreciate it."

"No problem," the boy replied. "The guy was a creep, and I wanted do whatever I could to get my siblings outta his possession."

"Speaking of—you all might wanna head home. Hiroshi might come back around here and use you all again once he's got Asami back in his clutches," Bolin told them. "And if any of you are benders...you might wanna especially avoid crossing paths with him again. He's able to strip bending from those able to bend. I know all too well—I saw him remove my brother's bending." The boy's four older siblings responded with dazed nods.

Kya and the other two waved to them as they took off, hopefully in pursuit of Hiroshi—and catching up to Asami before he did.

XoXoX

Asami ran for all it was worth. She ran without knowing where she was heading, getting struck in the face from time to time by low-lying branches that happened to get in her way. A couple of them drew blood, creating fresh scars of scarlet across her once flawless features.

She kept running, even as her energy began to drain from her. She couldn't allow herself any weakness; she knew the consequences if she slowed down even a little. Even though she was running in a fashion she was by no means adjusted to, through an environment she was just as equally not adjusted to being in, she kept pushing forward as much as the muscles in her limbs would allow.

She eventually ran into a creek bed, a shallow waterway blocking her path. Not caring that she would get waterlogged, she pushed through the currents, depths at the middle reaching as high as her knees. The water slowed her down but she was persistent in her efforts to get far away from her father.

The forest beyond the stream seemed to stretch on forever under filtered moonlight. Asami wished her eyes were better adjusted to nighttime, that she could see beyond several feet in front of herself to know if she was making any progress; if she was getting anywhere near civilization, or further into the wilderness. She was thankful to have the moon to guide her by; she didn't know much about the Moon Spirit or the tale about her completely, but she was grateful for her company nonetheless.

After running for what seemed like forever through an endless forest, Asami came upon a small village nestled in a clearing. It looked, from what she was able to perceive, like the village had come from another era, one set back half a century or more ago. Not that she was about to complain; habitation in any form was still something she could possibly seek sanctuary in.

Asami ran to the first doorstep she could and began knocking. She knocked several times impatiently before somebody came to the door. She was certain she looked a wreck, but the woman who answered didn't turn her away. Instead, she asked, "What's a young woman like yourself doing out this late at night? Did something happen to you?"

"Please—my father abducted me from my home, and I need somewhere to hide or he'll find me," Asami said in a rush of words. "He-he's a horrible man who has terrible plans for me, and I can't let him find me. Is there any way you can help me?"

The woman showed her in quickly, looking around before closing the door behind them both. "Until I can see the neighbor, you can stay here. She will take you in for the night I believe. I'll go see her and get things worked out with her."

"I really appreciate the hospitality," Asami thanked her, her upbringing not being wasted.

"What's your name?" The woman asked her.

"Asami."

The woman smiled graciously before going out through the back. Meanwhile, Asami waited around nervously, hoping Hiroshi wouldn't come across this little patch of a town in the woods. She would feel horrible if something came of this small community on her part.

XoXoX

Shaozu awoke with a terrible headache. As he came to, he realized his back also ached, as well as his wrists—and his feet. As he fully came to, he realized his wrists and feet were more tightly bound then they were before, hence why his wrists and ankles were pained. His awkward position would explain his back pain, but the headache—

Rivulets of something moist rolled down his forehead into one of his eyes. He had a hard time blinking it out, and he couldn't reach up to wipe it away. Whatever wet substance it was that just rolled into his eyes stung, and his vision out of that one in particular was tinted rouge. It was then Shaozu knew the wet liquid that fell from his forehead was blood.

_I wonder what caused it to bleed._ He tried to think of what happened after Asami escaped. Shaozu remembered calling out to her, screaming for her to run, and hurry. He remembered then that Hiroshi eventually managed to get his bearings back in place and fought to get him restrained. He had received a knock to the head in the process—that had to be the culprit of his bleeding. A cut, left untreated, after he was knocked unconscious and dragged back into the mecha. It made sense.

Shaozu now tried to figure out what was going on in the here and now. Hiroshi was back at his mecha's control station, working them over feverishly. He paid no mind to his newly alert captive, or the other one—the other ex-firebender who had been unconscious through most of the events of earlier.

Mako; Shaozu felt a heaping of sympathy for his former competition, the former Fire Ferrets ex-firebender who was just lying there, looking paler and paler with each passing moment. He hoped the guy wasn't dying, that he would survive the night, and more—

Shaozu wondered what time it was. He felt like he'd been out for hours, but it could have been a couple hours, or a couple days. For all he knew, it could be daylight and he wouldn't be able to tell while trapped inside the madman's giant machine. Shaozu resigned himself to not knowing, his eyes dwelling on Mako's figure as he waited for sleep to claim him once more—if it ever would.

XoXoX

Tenzin watched the next two days pass by in a blur. Each morning of those two days he saw Korra head out with Lin to the airstrip to get in her biplane flying practice, while he kept an eye on Tahno as the young man wandered aimlessly around the island trying to recuperate after taking that beam that was originally intended for Korra instead of him. The process seemed to be a long one for the ex-bender; as soon as it appeared he regained most of his strength back, it seemed to drain away from him just as quickly.

Korra had noted the progression, informing Tenzin of his condition, the consequences he suffered because of his developed spiritual ability. Tenzin could only hope the young man had enough energy by the time he and the young Avatar left to handle the situation regarding Hiroshi in the North Pole.

On that front, Chief Unalaq kept him updated on the search for Kanani's whereabouts. So far the ex-bender's mother hadn't been discovered, her location eluding them. Chief Unalaq kept it optimistic, stating she would be found eventually, and ended each communication on a light note.

On the front regarding Hiroshi and his mecha, Kya was keeping him updated on their discoveries, and her reports weren't much more optimistic than those he received on Kanani's whereabouts. In her last report last night she mentioned that Asami had managed to escape, and she would keep him updated on the status of whether they found her first—or Hiroshi did. On that matter, Tenzin had heard nothing further.

Otherwise most of his sister's reports were darker in nature with her other information. What darkened Kya's reports in contrast to Unalaq's information was the news she had regarding Mako's condition. Each time she reported in to her youngest brother she told him that every eyewitness she met with who spotted the trio being held captive with undeniable proof informed her that the young man looked ill.

_Tenzin, I'm not sure what it is, but something's wrong with Mako. Each witness who's seen him, that I can verify anyways, told me that he looks like he can barely support his own weight on his two feet, that—he looks like he's been stripped of some of his life energy. I'm not sure exactly what might be wrong with him, but—I think that...when Hiroshi stripped him of his bending...it might have altered Mako's chi in some way. I can only hope...it's not in a way that could leave him with permanent—negative effects._

_Can you promise me not to tell either Korra or Tahno about any of this? If they were to find out...they might not be able to handle the news._

"_Yes, Kya—I agree. I promise I'll keep the info from them."_

Kya had gratefully thanked him before cutting the connection. The situation left Tenzin with a couple things to worry about: if the procedure had that kind of effect on Mako—how would it impact the countless triad prisoners and others that Hiroshi had subjected to the same procedure beforehand? Would they show similar symptoms as Mako, or was he a unique case?

He also worried how Korra and Tahno would react when they finally learned the truth about Mako's current state. He didn't want to dwell on how they would react, and hoped that they'd remain oblivious of the situation for as long as possible.

Tenzin was well aware of the situation regarding Tahno and Mako; he had heard about it directly from his eldest daughter, who had taken a fascination with the young former waterbender. Even though Tahno had promised to keep his relationship details from his children, Jinora still managed to find out. Tenzin's daughter was always inquisitive, attentive and bright, and it would have taken locking her up constantly to keep her from learning about the young man and the people he chose to build romantic interests in.

But that wasn't the most important thing he needed to worry about; that morning Korra and the former waterbender would be taking off towards the North Pole to put an end to Hiroshi's plan once and for all, and save his three young captives from his grips If Kya and her company weren't able to first. There was much to worry about the process from takeoff to landing, and Tenzin preferred to cover every detail involved in the endeavor instead of dwelling on the fact that his daughter had learned more about something then he would have liked her to.

From Lin's reports, she believed Korra was ready to fly. Tenzin took her word for it, although he still felt that twist of worry in his innards. But he recognized that it was now or never—time wasn't on their side, and even if they weren't fully prepared to act, they would need to nevertheless.

Currently Tenzin was pacing the deck of his brother's vessel waiting for Korra and Tahno's arrival. He was feeling more impatient then usual, for obvious reasons. It was getting near noon, and they were supposed to be ready by midmorning. He walked the deck back and forth enough times that Bumi joked he'd leave an indent on it.

He was in mid pace when Lin finally arrived with the two young adults. Tenzin got on their case about timing as they got situated for their flight up until they were ready for liftoff. He finally stepped back when they were ready to head out.

"Good luck!" Tenzin shouted to them over the roar of the propellers. Both turned their heads to him, smiling their reassurances, and then they were off. Tenzin kept his eye on the aircraft until it disappeared far off on the horizon, with Lin watching by his side.

XoXoX

After the young Avatar and the ex-waterbender's departure, Tenzin and Lin departed from Bumi's vessel and headed back into Republic City—but only briefly. Tenzin knew that Hiroshi had requested no outside interferences lest he resort to unfavorable actions—but Lin couldn't settle with leaving Korra and Tahno alone to confront the former businessman without some kind of backup.

The two were in Tenzin's private household back on Air Temple Island arguing over their options. Even though they had managed to reconcile their differences and were on friendly terms again, it didn't mean the two weren't still prone to arguments.

"Lin—Hiroshi threatened to use Tahno's friend automatically if he caught any sign of intervention, and I would prefer not to complicate things in a way where somebody might get hurt or killed because we didn't think things through first," Tenzin told the metalbender.

Lin, with her arms crossed, stared at the airbender crossly, emerald irises on him stern. "We can't just leave the responsibility of apprehending Hiroshi on Korra's shoulders—or solely burden the Northern Water Tribe with the situation either. I want to make sure we have the right people there to incarcerate him once Hiroshi's been taken down again."

"I agree with you on those points, Lin, but I think first—" Tenzin was interrupted midsentence by a knock at his home's front door. The two exchanged quizzical glances with one another, neither knowing whom it was. Shrugging it off, they exited the dining area to go answer the door.

At the door the two were greeted by the presence of Tenzin's eldest sibling, along with one of Lin's own and an unexpected sight.

"One of your officers wanted to see you, Lin," Bumi spoke up. "I was taking a break on shore when he caught up with me. Asked me to bring him and these two to you and Ten." Tenzin cringed at the nickname, but shrugged it off. There were more pressing matters right at that moment—like the fact that the Lieutenant was standing there besides his brother, Mako's boss Ishio, and a young girl he'd been introduced to earlier named Kami.

"Ishio—what brings you here?" Lin inquired, eying the Lieutenant all the while. When not garbed in his Equalist attire, the man appeared almost normal, but something in his presence still unhinged something in the metalbender. "And why did you bring Amon's co-conspirator and the young girl with you?"

"He wants to make up for his past mistakes, and the girl wants to help him with that," Ishio replied. "Can we take this inside? It would be less awkward than standing around here in the entryway like this."

"Come in." Tenzin showed them to the study where there was ample seating for any wanting to get off their feet. Only Kami took a seat.

"He says that he has an internal understanding of Hiroshi's mindset and his plans from being forced to work as his second-in-command, and might know of a way for your brother's vessel to approach the water tribe without Hiroshi's detection," Ishio stated, indicating the Lieutenant in the process.

"How did you know that we were discussing this very matter?" Lin asked Ishio.

"The Lieutenant approached me about wanting to help bring Hiroshi to justice for his crimes while I was doing paperwork back at the station," Ishio told her.

"And I'm the one who mentioned the fact that you two were arguing about how you wanted to handle that situation when we happened to cross paths," Bumi added.

"You said you might have a solution for getting my brother's ship near the vicinity of the Northern Water Tribe without detection," Tenzin said to Ishio. "What were you going to propose?"

"Kami here is a waterbender," Ishio stated. "She says that her mother taught her how to use her bending to create mist screens, and I thought—using your airbending, Tenzin—that you could spread the mist screens she makes to create a fog cover while your brother brings his vessel up north, hopefully going unnoticed by Hiroshi in the meantime. I also figured you might be able to keep an aerial watch for any signs of trouble, or—for that matter—sightings of Hiroshi's approach."

"The officials on the United Forces council can't sit back while Hiroshi's creating a hostile situation in the Northern Water Tribe, Tenzin," Bumi stated seriously. "They informed me that they want my ship somewhere in the vicinity in case my crew can be of assistance. I have to say I agree with them, and Lin's officer's idea is feasible."

"If we are going to do this, we must interfere only if things look like they're getting too dire for either Korra or Tahno to handle, and we can get involved without further complicating the situation," Tenzin said. Lin frowned, but grudgingly nodded, and Ishio and Bumi just nodded as well.

"I understand you wanting to prevent as many casualties as possible, Ten. I grew up under dad's teaching too," Bumi said to his brother. This time Tenzin reacted.

"I wish you and Kya wouldn't resort to using that nickname, at least in my presence," Tenzin said peevishly.

"If you two are done taking jabs at each other childishly, let's get back to tackling this seriously," Lin interjected, sternly looking back and forth at the two brothers. When neither raised a voice in protest, she turned her attention towards her officer. "Ishio, what useful information about Hiroshi can the Lieutenant provide us?"

"May I speak?" The Lieutenant spoke up, bringing all eyes towards him.

Lin nodded. "Go ahead."

"While in Hiroshi Sato's forced _employment_, I was able to witness a lot of personal details about Hiroshi's plans that most others weren't privy to—including details on that mecha of his," The Lieutenant said. "Until recently I didn't know the actual identity of Sato's spiritual aide, but I knew of its involvement and that the spirit had connected its essence with Hiroshi's machine in order to help it operate. I know how to operate it's controls through Hiroshi instructing the ghost that possessed me how to do so, and—in the process—I also managed to learn of a way to disable it so that it can be efficiently destroyed."

"Can you be trusted to help out without double crossing us?" Lin asked him, her stern gaze on him.

"I was loyal solely to Amon's cause during his campaign until he turned out be a hypocrite and traitor to his own cause, and I have never been personally loyal to Hiroshi at any time while he's been pursuing his current goal," The Lieutenant informed her. "Hiroshi Sato crosses the line with what he's planning to do, and I can't by any means condone his current actions."

"Considering your past, it's only rational to be suspicious of your intentions," Tenzin noted. From across the room they heard an abrupt '_harrumph_' that brought their attention that direction.

"I trust his words," Kami spoke up, a little agitated. "He told me he's in my debt for saving him while eating dinner at my place a couple days ago, and I believe he'll keep his word, for my sake at the very least."

"Kami, I understand that you have put your faith in him, but sometimes it's not easy for those of us who have dealt with the consequences of his actions towards us to readily accept his help so easily," Lin told the girl matter-of-factly. "The best we can do is hope he keeps his word—and penalize him to the fullest if he breaks it."

"Bumi, could you go and get in contact with United Forces about this new plan, and get your crew prepared for departure?" Tenzin asked his elder sibling.

Bumi smiled one of his more lighthearted grins in response. "I'll go get in touch with my superiors, and then get my crew in shape for launching out to sea."

Bumi was about to make his departure when his younger brother's voice stopped him. "Also, Bumi—how long do you think it'll take us to reach the Northern Water Tribe if we travel at the fastest possible speed?"

"If we are ready to leave early tomorrow morning, we could be there as early as a few hours past midnight of the Solstice. Possibly a little later," Bumi replied, adding, "It'll probably be best to start first thing in the morning. My crew will be fresh to travel, the ship will be fueled up, and we'll be all rested and ready to tackle a day at sea!" The last part he added with extra enthusiasm. Tenzin and Lin mutually rolled their eyes.

Lin turned her attention to her officer. "Ishio, would you like to come along and help? One of your young officers is currently in Hiroshi's custody, and I thought you might want the opportunity to help free him."

Ishio smiled, but it was regretful. "I appreciate the offer, but I would prefer to stay behind. As much as I would love to help Mako out—he has several others who will be there for him." He looked at her seriously. "Besides—if you're going, somebody needs to stay here and run things at the station. The city is still in need of some restoration efforts, and somebody needs to be here to oversee them."

Lin acknowledged his words, and nodded. "I will make certain your young officer comes back."

"Thanks, Chief," Ishio smiled genuinely and then took his leave, with Bumi following him out the door. From that point on, Tenzin and Lin spent the rest of the afternoon going over the details of the upcoming trip with the man known only by the title _the Lieutenant_ and the young waterbender that would be accompanying them on the trip. When they were finished with that they went about making their own preparations for their upcoming trip, up until it was time to turn in for the night.

XoXoX

Air rushed by their heads, tinged with hints of an arctic chill. Tahno was thankful this time he was prepared for the winter climate of a polar tribal visit, bundled up in his jacket, mittens and warm outerwear beneath the jacket from his visit to the South Pole. Korra was in the pilot seat, at the controls, her hair nearly whipping him in the face from time to time as the wind carried it in a draft behind her.

The first few hours of the trip were done without conversation passing between the two; both were consumed by their own thoughts enough not to need to bother making conversation with one another to kill the time. Tahno was recounting his last moments with Ming before his departure, the memory playing itself over and over again in his mind.

"_Tell Shao that Mei Lin's okay," Ming told him after the ex-waterbender got dressed. The former earthbender lingered throughout his friend's disrobing and redressing, getting one last glimpse of the body he wished once more he could bring close to his own—the one that lay forgotten and buried deep in the earth._

_Tahno had felt the former earthbender's eyes on him the whole time he was changing, but hadn't felt awkward about it for once. "You really want those to be your last words to him?"_

"_If you want me to get all sentimental about it, man, then I will," Ming said with a sobering laugh. "Tell Shao that...I miss the days when the three of us were close, that...um—I'm going to miss his friendship, and...that I hope he'll be happy after all this is over. That I'll be keeping an eye on him...so—you know...I can make sure Mei Lin's being good to him and all that."_

"_You just want to spy on him because you like watching them getting hot and heavy when they don't know you're there," Tahno accused him as he finished getting his shoes on his feet. _

"_Guess you could say I'm a bit of a romantic at heart," Ming smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry, man—I'll be keeping an eye on you when you're getting all hot and bothered with someone else. I'll probably hang around you at other times as well. Actually—let's just say that I'll probably never leave your side."_

"_What makes you think I won't stay single for a while?" Tahno faced his deceased boyfriend, arms crossed over his chest._

"_You, stay single?" Ming laughed humorously. "Tahno, you always had to have__** somebody**__ by your side—whether it was something serious or just a one-night stand. If there's something I know best about you, man—it's that you don't really like to be alone. You need somebody paying attention to you. You'd break down otherwise."_

"_What makes you think I couldn't handle some time just by myself?" Tahno questioned him. "Damn it, Ming—I'm not even the same as I was __**before**__ you chose an exit route out of my life with a noose and you hanging from it. I could easily adjust to being alone for a while."_

_Ming laughed again, quickly leaning in to kiss the former waterbender, even though neither would benefit physically from it much. "We'll see about that."_

"_I'll prove it to you that I don't need somebody else to support me, that I can support myself as an individual," Tahno continued to argue. Ming just laughed._

"_Yeah, say that all you want if it makes you feel better," Ming teased. All of a sudden he grew awkward, looking at the former waterbender sheepishly. "There...never was anyone else who could hold a candle to you, you know."_

"_Huh?" Tahno looked at him oddly._

"_Unlike you man...the girls I dated..." Ming grew even more awkward, as if he was about to reveal his deepest, darkest secrets. "I only entertained them to cover up for the fact that I...that I was only attracted to you. I've...only ever been interested in being...by your side—with you."_

"_Me?" Tahno exclaimed, flabbergasted. "Ming—are you saying...confessing to me that you're gay—that you never were bi?"_

"_I wanted to get that off my chest before we said our last goodbyes," Ming admitted. "When you were always going out with those fangirls of ours, I held out hope that someday...someday you'd know how much I care about you—that you'd see me in the same way I saw you—see you. That's why, when you confessed that you loved me...I didn't act repulsed by it. I'd been wanting you to tell me that all along, man."_

"_Damn it, Ming—you should've told me sooner. I would've approached you about it sooner then I did if I'd known," Tahno told him._

"_I wasn't sure how you'd take it—and I didn't want to face the possibility of rejection," Ming admitted, reminding him with subdued insistence, "Can't change the past, only look towards the future." _

"_I won't forget you," Tahno stated, suddenly getting sentimental._

_Ming smiled somberly at him. "I'd hope not." He cradled the side of the former waterbender's face with his hand tenderly, Tahno just picking up the imprint of the ex-earthbender's gentle gesture. "I-I love you, man."_

_Tears sprouted from both their eyes, but only Tahno's were substantial. "Damn it, Ming—you just had to get me crying, didn't you?"_

"_Hey—at least you're not alone in this," tears slipped from Ming's eyes like liquid jewels cascading down his face._

"_Yeah," The smile Tahno expressed then was his most genuine. "I-I...love you too." More tears slipped from his eyes as he said the last words that would ever verbally pass between the two while he was still alive. "I...really will miss you."_

_Ming didn't say a word; he only nodded, cleared the tears from the ex-waterbender's face, and then vanished from his life forever._

"How're you doing back there, pretty boy?" Korra's voice broke him from his bittersweet mental reverie. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just caught in thought," Tahno shouted back. The wind would have carried his voice away if he hadn't.

"Thinking about Ming?" Korra inquired.

"Yeah." Tahno again lost himself in his numerous thoughts about his various moments with Ming while Korra kept looking ahead and operating the controls of the biplane.

XoXoX

Bright light filtered through the window as Asami came to. She pulled back her borrowed sheets on her borrowed makeshift bed, feeling more relaxed then she had in a few days.

After the woman had gotten in contact with her neighbor, she had shown Asami over to her neighbor's place. Her neighbor, a kindly older woman with a house full of cats, welcomed Asami in without question. The woman apologized for all the fur in the air and the presence of so many cats, but Asami assured her she was fine with it, as she was grateful for the woman's hospitality. She was set up with a bed without further questioning and allowed peace to grab some sleep.

And she'd slept; Asami had slept very well. She almost forgot the predicament she was in—that she was trying to stay out of her father's clutches.

The kindly woman provided her an adequate breakfast before leaving for the early part of the afternoon to run her routine errands of the day. Asami finished it quickly, enjoying it even though it was rather plain fare. After being force-fed cold rations that Hiroshi stole over the past few days, it seemed a luxury in comparison.

Sunlight filtered through parted curtains in the kitchen window. The sight made Asami unusually itch for the outdoors. Unsure if it was due to her being held captive inside Hiroshi's mechanical behemoth without any semblance of nature to grasp onto, or if she just yearned to immerse herself in it. She only knew she wanted to spend a short part of the afternoon after her meal partaking in its splendor.

She also wanted to get a better glimpse at the small town she sought refuge in the previous eve. She had only witnessed it by moonlight, and was curious to take in her outer surroundings. With caution, avoiding a few wandering fur balls that occasionally clustered around her feet, trying to garner affections from her, she made her way to the door leading out of the house and outdoors into the small community she'd stumbled across.

Few people milled about, only one or two here and there as she walked in the green space that stood between residential properties. The place was peaceful, quiet—nothing like the city life she was used to. Insects buzzed about, birds moving about above, chirping up a chorus amongst the overhanging tree branches. Asami couldn't help smiling at the splendor of it all—even if it was all far outside her element. It wasn't her father or his ghastly, spiritually possessed machine, and she found blessed release in that fact.

A woman tending to her garden looked up as Asami passed, smiling at her before getting back to her dirty work. Asami smiled in return, and continued on her peaceful hike, taking it all in with each footstep. And then, peace was disrupted.

It started with soft rumbling, far distant murmurs of a questionable nature breaking the natural chorus currently in progress. Asami stopped in place upon the first rumble, trying to make sense of what it was, where it was coming from. It confounded her those few moments. And then it grew louder, more defined—mechanical, by the sounds of it. Asami dashed her verdant irises back and forth frantically in search of a source, her heart racing as the sound loomed, growing louder without providing a physical presence.

And then it all struck at once, faster than she could react properly. Over the subtle tree line overhead, she saw the behemoth she was trying to avoid—the one with her father inside it at the controls. Asami broke out in a run, her path aimless in her fervor to escape recapture.

Hiroshi gave chase in his contraption, incinerating a few rooftops and trees in his pursuit. The few people out and about took shelter in their homes upon seeing the massive mechanical monstrosity, hoping to put shelter between them and it. A few of the cats belonging to the kindly old lady who had taken her in scattered from their lazy wanderings, petrified by the loud rumbling sound.

Asami's feet kept pounding against the soft earth in her search for a place to go, to hide. Up until something caught at her ankle, tripping her up and sending her, face-first, into the sodden soil below. She assumed the worst was about to hit with her recapture at her so-called father's hands. Her mind defeated to the matter, she raised her eyes to meet up with her imminent doom, only to be shocked by a strike of lightning arcing high overhead to strike at Hiroshi's mecha.

The machine lit up with an electric blue aura as it took the hit, absorbing the powerful electrical shock. Asami could only stare upwards at the spectacle as it took place, her mind too astounded to try and conceive a possible outlet for that electrical bolt. Not until she heard somebody shouting her name did she find time in her mind to conjure the very thought.

"Asami!" The voice repeated her name again, a third time actually. It sounded familiar, friendly. It cut through all the chaotic noise around—the roar of Hiroshi's mecha as it hovered above, the destruction it created in its warpath towards her—and now the sounds created in it's battle with it's new opposing force.

The voice—it was Bolin. Asami felt relief washing over her as she came to the realization, looking overhead and seeing the proof nearby. Two house lengths from where she had downed herself, Kya was reining Oogi in while Iroh, perched precariously on the skybison's back, took strikes at Hiroshi's mecha with his lightning strikes. Bolin, meanwhile, was gripping the saddle right behind the elder waterbender, calling out to Asami, giving proof to their acknowledgement of her current position.

A column of earth rose up from the ground. Bolin leapt from Oogi's saddle to meet up with it, quickly descending to the ground as the earthen mound collapsed from under him. Bolin hit the ground running, his feet in a hurry to bring him to Asami's side, and for that—she was grateful.

Bolin knelt by her side as Hiroshi continued to dodge and dart his mecha from Iroh's electrically charged assaults, sending a few beams of eerie blue light back in response. Nearby houses and structures became unfortunate victims to the light blue beams and bolts of lightening that missed their marks, incinerating walls, downing trees, and scorching earth and green growth that happened to be cropping up from it. The few people remaining outdoors beside the skybison bound trio, the giant mecha, and Asami narrowly managed to escape from the chaos overtaking their quiet little abode, taking shelter behind outcroppings an earthbender or two used to protect themselves with, or within the confines of their own homes—if they were still standing.

"Are you okay?" Bolin asked Asami as he got on his knees by her side.

Asami nodded, unexpected, grateful tears coming to her eyes. "You guys have got to take down my father's mecha. But please—do it carefully! Mako and Shaozu are still in there!"

"That was the plan," Bolin assured her. "Speaking of my bro, there's something urgent I need to ask you about him." His evergreen eyes were desperate as he looked at her. "Is Mako okay? From reports we've received along the way...it's got me worried about him."

Asami looked back at him, dismayed. "Bolin, I think there's something wrong—" She halted, her eyes widening as she shouted, "Bo—watch out!"

Bolin had enough time to turn and dodge the beam aimed for him from Hiroshi's mecha. He tumbled as he lost his footing in the maneuver to avoid getting hit, taking a moment to orient his thoughts before attempting to approach Asami again. Iroh noticed the young earthbender was being targeted from his viewpoint, instructing Kya to bring him in for a better angle to strike Hiroshi from to garner a needed distraction. Kya added to the attempt using water formations to try and thwart the madman's movements in his machine while trying to steer Oogi at the same time. It gave Bolin enough of an advantage to get close to Asami again.

"What were you saying before you got interrupted?" Bolin asked her. He helped Asami to her feet, which took more effort from him as she was favoring a twisted ankle. She winced as she tried standing on her two feet, in the end relying on leaning on Bolin's shoulder for support, her sore ankle raised.

"Something's wrong with Mako," Asami told him, her grip on his arm tightening. "Mako—he-he...he's fading. I don't know what's wrong, what my father did to him...but—he keeps getting paler and paler...and he can hardly keep his eyes open_ when_ he's awake..." She looked at the earthbender, distraught. "I hope it isn't as bad as I fear it could be, but...Mako—he-he looks like he might be...dying."

Bolin stared at her in shock, but only for an instant. In the next an explosion of earth separated the two, sending them flying in opposite directions. In yet another instant neither were able to account for fully the skybison fell from the sky, his passengers scattering as he became quickly earthbound. Luckily for Oogi he had the sense to right his path in time to prevent a full force impact and land harshly on his six furry stumps for legs. His two passengers weren't so lucky.

Kya landed with some force upon the ground, her shoulder taking the brunt of the impact as she crash-landed. Iroh meanwhile was lying on his back several feet away from her, wincing at the pain from a burn he received to his shoulder—the same one he had damaged during Amon's campaign. His singed garment was smoldering, and he was taking his time to get up.

Hiroshi took advantage of the situation while the majority of his opposition was temporarily incapacitated. Bolin struggled to his feet, making vain attempts to take the madman's machine out of the sky with earthen strikes. But the columns held no worth against the strength of Hiroshi's arsenal; tumbling feebly back towards whence they came in ruined heaps. Bolin, noticing his efforts were useless, made one last stitch effort to come to Asami's aide, coming between the madman and her using himself as a shield.

"Keep away from her!" Bolin shouted as Hiroshi brought his mecha in for a landing and opened its hatch. He quickly climbed out from it and down the side of his contraption, the hatch promptly shutting behind him.

"If you want to be recaptured—I'm more than happy to throw you in with your _street rat_ brother," Hiroshi commented with a smirk.

Bolin stood his ground, glaring at the former businessman. "What did you and your machine do to my bro? Why is he so sick?"

"The procedure I used on the _street rat_ wasn't any different from any of the others I've used it on," Hiroshi replied coolly. "Something else must have interfered with his life-energy recently that has created an imbalance for him and put him in this state. Whatever that might be—_I_ had nothing to do with it."

Bolin stared at him quizzically. "What are you talking about?"

"Your brother probably made some kind of _energy transference _recently that's thrown his own chi off balance," Hiroshi replied. He rested his hands loosely on his hips. "So, are you going to continue standing there, just waiting to be captured? I could use another bender's energy to power my mecha with. You've proven that your bending is strong enough for my purposes." His mecha glowed an eerie aura as he spoke to it, "Spirit, get the young earthbender on his knees."

Asami fought her way to her feet, pushing Bolin off to the side and confronting her father face to face. "I won't let you harm another one of my friends. What you did to Mako is enough. I can't allow you to do the same thing to Bolin."

"Will you go along quietly in exchange for that boy's freedom?"

Asami looked apologetically towards Bolin, pleading for him to understand with her eyes. "If you'll let him go...I will."

"Asami—" Bolin began to protest.

Asami cut him off. "Please—go and see if Iroh and Kya are all right. I-I'll be okay." She smiled sadly. "Please Bo, do this for me—and Mako. Make sure they're okay...to continue travelling." Nonverbally she sent him a look screaming, _please make sure they're okay so that all three of you can get to the North Pole in time to stop my father's plan. _Whether or not he got it, Bolin nodded very slightly, backing off reluctantly and checking on Iroh's condition. In the mean time, Asami obediently climbed into the hatch as Hiroshi instructed, a burden weighing heavily on her heart.

Shaozu looked up as she sat down beside him, eyes widening as he realized it was Asami. She shot him a quick somber glance before aiming her eyes in Mako's direction; his still form sprawled there lifelessly.

_What could you possibly have done to yourself that could have caused this?_ Still, pale and lifeless—Asami had to wonder what Hiroshi meant by _energy transference_. How could Mako possibly have done something like that—and when? Or was her father just trying to pin yet another thing on Mako, and not take the blame for it himself when he was really the one at fault?

"I think it's best that I don't risk you trying to escape from me again," Hiroshi spoke, taking Asami from her thoughts.

"I already said I'd go quietly if you let Bolin go," Asami replied.

"I've learned from experience that it's better to be certain than to take my chances," Hiroshi stated. Before Asami could demand what he meant to do, he knocked her out cold.


	23. Chapter 23

_The rest of the book 2 characters I bothered to include in the story's plot show up in this chapter. Chief Unalaq and his twins become more involved from this chapter on, and I'll give the same warning I did in the introductory chapter: they'll be OOC from the canon book 2 versions. I wrote this before I watched book 2 to keep them original to my vision, so please excuse this little issue. Note: I didn't make them the antagonists here, heh :-P_

_Anyways, hope nobody minds my version of the three characters. I kind of preferred the idea of the two brothers (Tonraq and Unalaq) being on decent terms with each other. I was actually kind of saddened when they went down the sibling rivalry/power battle route. It happens too often in fiction between brothers contending for a throne, or something thereabouts._

XoXoX

Korra was still trying to get used to the controls in front of her. Even though she had spent hours on end training with Lin on how to fly the biplane, Korra still felt nervous in the pilot's seat. She was always fascinated by motor vehicles, but—with a lack of firsthand exposure to them or little to no need for the know how to operate them—she wasn't quite that knowledgeable or comfortable about operating them completely on her own.

In an attempt to stamp down the anxious feeling, she tried dwelling on something else. She thought about what had driven her to make that trip in the first place, as well as her preoccupied passenger in the seat behind her. Pretty boy, Tahno; the ex-waterbender behind her whose mind was occupied by the thoughts of the one who he'd forever be leaving behind with this trip, his deceased teammate and lover Ming.

She half acknowledged the brisk wind that bit at the exposed skin of her face as her mind became preoccupied by the ex-bender and his teammates. There was something she had been keeping from Tahno that she felt guilty about. She felt her stomach twisting up in knots from the guilt she felt about the ex-bender's loss—the lingering thought she'd dwelled on from time to time that she could have maybe prevented what happened to them if she'd restored their bending to them in the first place like she was supposed to.

After Avatar Aang managed to restore her other three bending elements and taught her the technique of energybending, Korra had deliberately not sought out the Wolfbats to restore their bending for them. She had restored even a few Triad members bending to them over her trio of ex-rivals. She wasn't sure if it was a grudge she held with The Wolfbats at the time or if she just felt like spiting them for her own personal reasons, she couldn't remember.

Seeing the impact the decision in the end had on the ex-bender and his teammates...it weighed heavily on Korra's thoughts, adding yet another burden to her already troubled mind. This too she was beginning to feel was something she needed to divert her mind from. Like her nervousness about flying, to linger on those thoughts could be disastrous for her and keeping them in the air. Korra quickly attempted to think of something else, try a similar tactic to the one that Tahno currently was employing, with Mako instead of Ming—or of the good times they had as the Fire Ferrets, or the good times in Republic City;_ anything_ to keep her mind away from troubling thoughts, for the next several hours of travel at the very least.

She wouldn't be doing anyone any favors if she crash-landed the craft somewhere in those distant, frigid waters below. That very thought caused the young Avatar to cringe. She concentrated on pleasant thoughts as her eyes watched the far-reaching waters below, water painted by the many shades of the approaching twilight.

XoXoX

Kanani waited in that cave, her teeth chattering against the icy cold as time stretched on and on. She was alone in the cold cavern, although Unrak popped in momentarily from time to time. He barely spoke a word to her each time he showed up, as if there was no love passing between the two of them when he made his appearances He just provided her with some food and materials to keep her warm, and was gone almost as soon as he came.

Kanani was certain that Unrak wasn't in his right mind. Hadn't Tahno said something one time to her—or at least in her presence—about spiritual possessions? The way Unrak's eyes looked clouded over more so than usual, and the way he acted towards her—she could see it being possible. In fact—it seemed to be her only rational explanation.

Kanani was certain a day had passed since Unrak last checked in with her. She was starting to worry that he might not come back—or that he somehow got himself lost in one of his many treks out into the tundra. She never suspected that she would soon receive a visitor—and it wouldn't involve her husband in the least.

She also was unaware of the fact that Unrak was being restrained elsewhere, discovered by a couple of water tribesman who just happened to cross paths with him. Every member of the Northern Water Tribe was put on the alert for Kanani and Unrak's whereabouts, including his own brother—the supposedly ill one.

When Unrak was taken into custody by chance, his brother was present when they brought him in. Kanani was oblivious to the fact that her husband's brother was leaning over him just then, questioning him about her whereabouts, and how Unrak lacked to give them an answer each time he was asked. She was also unaware of the fact that the Chief of the tribe had been called in to handle the matter after it was discovered something was spiritually wrong with her husband.

What she was aware of was the crunch of footsteps coming from outside her cave dwelling, and how she mistaken them for Unrak's' relieving return. She was also aware of, even if she was taken off guard by it, a stranger's presence as she went to greet her Unrak, and the widening of her eyes when he whisked her away without a word of warning.

XoXoX

They arrived in the North Pole shortly after nightfall. Korra managed an adequate landing, using her waterbending to mold the ice into a flat runway, and then changing its consistency to grip the tires as they were grounded. From the distance, several members of her uncle's tribe rushed up to greet them, helping them both out of the aircraft one at a time.

As soon as he was out of the craft, Tahno wretched on the ice, his head bent over as waves of nausea overtook him. A couple water tribesmen helped him to his feet afterwards, and led the two back towards her uncle Unalaq's palace.

As they approached the capital of the Northern Water Tribe, Tahno was amazed at the structures that surrounded them, how everything seemed captured in malleable layers of ice. He was envious as he spied a few waterbenders here and there practicing their art right in sight.

The Northern Water Tribe was something of a marvel, but Tahno wasn't given the opportunity to take it in as they were rushed towards the central palace in a hurry. One of the tribesmen that greeted them upon their arrival had informed them that Chief Unalaq was awaiting their presence as they disembarked the biplane, and wouldn't have any time for sightseeing.

Tahno knew he'd have to make some time to do so later, but right then it was more important to get to the priority task at hand. Discussing how they were going to handle the situation with Hiroshi—what the two of them would have to do in regards of that.

Finally, they were led into a magnificent royal hall, what Tahno deemed to be the palace. Sitting upon his icy throne, several aides and two teenagers, twins, by his side, looking regal in his indigo attire—was who he believed had to be Chief Unalaq.

He was Korra's uncle—from her father's side as she'd explain on their flight over. From what Tahno remembered of her parents, her father was a cheerful, broad-shouldered man with effervescent energy emanating off him. His brother, Korra's uncle, by contrast appeared more serious, expression drawn and thoughtful, his narrower yet still strong and stable shoulders weighed with heavy responsibility. But the man, Chief Unalaq, didn't appear to be a severe, stoic individual; hints of his brother's light shone in his eyes, and the ex-bender caught traces of it coming off the fabric of the man's being.

Korra ran up and gave her uncle a hug, her family ties allowing her to embrace the man so casually. Meanwhile, Tahno stood there watching, waiting for when his attention would be called upon. Unalaq and the Avatar soon finished their greeting and got to business.

"I have heard from Tenzin that you are gifted with spiritual insight," Chief Unalaq spoke to the ex-bender after Korra rejoined where he was standing.

"The spirit-seeing thing let's me chat with and see spirits, as well as make it so I'm more able to freely enter the Spirit World." Tahno replied. "It comes with a price, though: in the process of allowing me more free reign with the Spirit World then other people, it's also got my life energy linked up with it. If Korra doesn't restore what's been stolen from me—my waterbending—I won't last past the end of the day of the Solstice."

"We're going to ensure that Korra gets that back to you and you survive well past the Solstice," Unalaq assured him. "For the time being, I want you to get some rest. In Tenzin's communications, he informed me how your ability has been weakening you, that you also had some chi depletion when you took a spiritual beam aimed at Korra in her place from Sato's machine. I don't want you to strain your remaining strength until you really need to." He turned his attention then towards Korra. "It's time you took your spiritual lessons with me seriously. We only have a day before the Solstice to cover the necessary amount of information, but I want you to be my ever apt pupil and listen to everything I have to say."

"I will, uncle," Korra replied respectfully.

"Tenzin assured me you'd be on the lookout for my mother," Tahno spoke up, trying to do so respectfully. "Have there been any sightings of her?"

"We discovered her husband wandering out in the wilderness a day or so ago. I've had my most important people working on him to get information on your mother's whereabouts out of him. His brother's with him, and I've personally looked into the matter," Unalaq replied. "Your mother's husband was indeed possessed by some form of entity, a spirit as far as I could wager. We haven't had much luck freeing Unrak of his burden, or getting anything out of him, but we'll continue to work on him until we get something."

"Tomorrow, once it's light out and I've had a chance to get some sleep—could I see my mother's husband, see if I can get something out of him myself?" Tahno asked.

"I'll talk to Unrak's brother and see if it's alright, but I think he'll have no problems allowing you to see his brother," Unalaq told him. He looked back and forth between his niece and the ex-waterbender. "Why don't you both rest up for the night and get something to eat? It's getting late, and I'm sure you're both worn out by your trip, and probably hungry as well."

Both Tahno and Korra were shown to where they could get some nourishment, and then to where they would be housed for the next few days. They were led to separate rooms so they each would have their place for privacy, and then left to relax before they were needed for anything further.

Tahno took to the bed in his space, lying down immediately and staring at the ceiling. Not long after that he faded into a dreamless slumber, his fatigue outweighing his hunger.

XoXoX

Nightfall was fast approaching, and there was much to do in the town Hiroshi Sato damaged.

Oogi was taking a while to recuperate enough to continue their journey. Kya had thankfully recovered quickly from her injuries, and she was able to help Iroh heal his. Bolin had received only a few minor cuts, but his mind was burdened with enough conflict to make up for it.

"We came _so close,_" Bolin griped. "Yet he still got away—and recaptured Asami in the process."

"We'll catch up to him," Kya assured him, getting the saddle replaced on Oogi's back. "If we don't get there in time—I'm sure Korra and Tahno will be there to stop him."

"What did Hiroshi mean by that remark about Mako's chi being imbalanced?" Bolin asked irritably. "What could my bro have done to cause that in the first place?"

Kya turned towards him, uncertainty in her eyes. "I don't know the answer to that, Bolin."

Bolin shook his head, trying to clear it of his mental strife. He looked around at the damaged little village surrounding him on all sides; letting his conflictions slide as he realized how much damage their fight with Hiroshi caused the little village's residents. Many homes with their roofs shorn or burnt off, some toppled completely to their foundations. Scorch marks left in the earth, trees toppled to the ground—some knocked right into a couple of the damaged homes, while others continued to smolder. What once looked like a peaceful village buried in the pocket of the woods now looked the aftermath of a tornadic strike.

Iroh was helping one woman retrieve her cat from a still-standing tree. Even with his arm bandaged where it was burned, he was right there, doing what he could while they were stuck there.

"Kya, how much longer do you think it'll be before Oogi's ready?" Bolin shouted in the elder waterbender's direction. She finished arranging the saddle and looked over at him.

"A little while longer," Kya responded. "I have to give him a quick once-over to make sure there isn't any hidden damage. Tenzin will have my hide if his precious bison comes back with the slightest injuries. We might be family, but Oogi's like one of his children."

"While you're doing that, I'm gonna help the village's people clean up," Bolin responded. "I kinda feel guilty that we dragged this mess onto their doorstep."

"I'm sure they'll appreciate the help," Kya told him. While she got back to work, Bolin went in search of something he could do. He helped one family clear some downed trees from their home front, and cleared a path to the entryway of one woman's home that lived alone with her cats.

"I come home from my morning errands to discover everything's been tossed all about," the woman was telling Bolin as he cleared away the last bit of debris from the walkway. "Thank you for the help." She looked upon him appreciatively. "Are you new here? I don't believe I've seen you before."

"We were passing through in search of a friend or two," Bolin relied, tossing aside the last branch. "One of them, a girl I know, was being chased by her father, and we were trying to intervene. But in the end—he got her first."

"Are you talking about the lovely young woman with the emerald eyes?" the woman asked him.

"Yeah, her name's Asami," Bolin replied.

"She came by late last night looking for a place to stay," the woman replied. She led him towards the house for something to eat while they chatted, mostly about Asami's stay with her.

XoXoX

Korra tried to sleep, but her mind was too restless to let her. She spent some time tossing and turning, her mind wrestling with the grips of slumber and the sense of something beckoning out towards her. Eventually, that beckoning force won out, and she was on her feet, out of bed, and being led towards wherever that force sought to take her.

She felt as if she were in a trance until she reached the sanctity of the North Pole's most sacred spiritual spot—a grotto hidden within the grounds of the palace known as the Spiritual Oasis. She knew the place well, as she had paid it visits during her various childhood outings to visit her family there. Her uncle made certain she was aware of it, partially due to his own spiritualist nature, but also because of her responsibility and role as the Avatar.

The place was peaceful and quiet at that hour, the moon giving her ample light to see by as she entered the sacred grounds. The ivory orb reflected off the pool below the bridge as she crossed over it and the peaceful stirrings of the pond at the center of the sacred verdant island as she approached it.

The only real sound captured by her ears was the soft roar of water splashing downwards in the form of a waterfall spilling forth from a slip in the grand surrounding walls behind the verdant isle. While she half acknowledged the sound, she allowed her legs to carry her towards the edge of the central pond—home to Tui and La, the pond's koi inhabitants, the moon and ocean spirits.

It was once she was by the pond side did she notice the shadowed figure already kneeling there beside the two spirits' watery abode. In the illumination of the ivory orb above it appeared to her very spectral in nature, but as she drew her eyes to it and stared hard at it a while did she notice the form was human—and familiar at that. It was one of her cousins, Chief Unalaq's uncanny appearing twins.

"Princess Yue and I have spent most of the evening chatting." just as Korra was trying to figure which of the two twins it was, the voice gave her initial clues to their identity. Although their voices to a stranger might sound very similar, Korra was able to detect the distinct differences between the two, and knew this voice as that of Eska, the female of the pair. "She's told me all about the current situation—what she knows about it anyways."

From a stranger's perspective, the pair of androgynous twins looked serious and gloomy, but that outer exterior didn't well represent their interior personalities. Their serious and eerie outer appearance was most likely a result of their more mystical, spiritual nature. With their father, the chief, being a very spiritualistic individual, it lent his children to adopting the same sort of nature. Korra knew better than to assume her cousins were indeed as gloomy and serious as their appearance let off. She'd known the both of them all of their lives and hers.

Eska in particular was very spiritually connected, especially with the Moon Spirit. Being the current _princess_, Eska always felt a distinct fondness towards the spirit, Princess Yue, as she was fondly known. It was that common thread that bound Eska strongly with the Moon Spirit.

As Korra came to kneel by the pond side next to her cousin, Eska's eyes were on her. "I was expecting you to show. Yue told me she summoned you out here for something."

Korra looked at the pair of koi fish swimming in the midnight darkened pool before looking up to meet with her cousin's gaze. "Is that what the pull was coming from? The Moon Spirit was calling for me?"

"Yes." Eska looked away from her towards the reflecting pool before them, eyes following the movements of Tui and La as they swam. "She told me about what happened to Mako...about what Koh expects from him...and you." She looked up at her older cousin with sadness. "I'm sorry Mako had to sacrifice his bending."

"Yeah. I'm hoping there's a way to reverse that, and—that I'm able to find it." Korra stared at the moon's reflection on the water, sighing drearily. "Hey, do you think you could give me some alone time here with Tui and La? There's something I need to look into in the Spirit World, and it'll be easier for me to do without an audience."

"Of course." Eska silently stood up. "My father knew I would see you before he did in the morning, and he wanted me to tell you he wants you up early in the morning to get started with your lessons with him. You only have a day to learn as much you're able to, so show up as early as you can. You know how he likes to be punctual." She smiled faintly, taking away some of the gloominess from her external essence. "Good luck with your chat with Koh."

Korra watched her silently slip into the shadows before taking on the lotus position. She fought to calm her inner thoughts, evening her breaths out so she could achieve the meditative state she needed to be in to make the transfer spiritually over to the Spirit World. It took some concentration, but she eventually managed to reach the state she wanted.

XoXoX

It seemed most of the time Mako was lost inside his dreams and nightmares more than he was awake. At one point he lost track of the difference between the two, and surrendered himself completely to whichever realm was taking the reins of his consciousness.

He had long ago moved away from the dreams about the stricken pale-skinned, icy-blue eyed young man, the one who kept expressing a level of extreme pain before sinking to his knees and collapsing into unconsciousness. The dreams of that same young man being caught in conversations with departed souls caught in mauve mists had also long since passed as well. He was now constantly in the presence of something more pleasant involving that same young man with the iceberg irises.

He couldn't explain it, and didn't dare try to; he yearned for that other young man's warmth, for he somehow felt like a lingering chill was eternally affecting him. Like he was slowly being dragged into a void that the icy eyed young man's presence kept him from sinking into it. His touch, their embrace—it seemed to be the one thing that kept him from fading into the void completely.

The two were intertwined in a heated embrace with one another. He was planting kisses all over the other young man's body, leaving blissful heated imprints with each time his lips caressed supple skin. His fingers grazed peaks and valleys of the ice blue eyed man's flesh, as he heard soft gasps and groans reflecting each physical interaction.

He felt the other man's fingers grasping at his neck as he brought his mouth down to leave a mark on the other's neck. Holding onto him as he savored the icy eyed man's skin with such a sweet taste, scent—

XoXoX

_Mako's touch was like pure bliss with every caress he made, every contact his flesh had with the ex-bender's. Mako knew exactly where to run his hands over Tahno's skin, how to grasp the ex-bender's lips in his own. And every touch, every grip—it all left heated imprints wherever it had been._

_But then it grew cold—oh so cold. Those touches that had once been full of so much life and heat took on a deathly shade. There was something about it that Tahno didn't like—and not just because it was physically discomforting. There was something very off in it that he could sense, as if it was precognizant in its very nature. The sense that something was wrong with Mako himself, very wrong—_

Tahno woke up with a layer of cold sweat covering his skin. It took him time to recover from his anxious state brought on by his startling dream.

That dream—it was the same one he'd had the day he awoke from his coma a couple days back; the one that started out erotic and then quickly became something else. The very same dream he'd had the night before they left Republic City. Goosebumps crawled across his skin as a chill ran through him. He was imagining how chilled Mako's touch had been towards the end of that dream—the chill of_ death_—

Tahno had to wonder if it was some kind of omen. He normally didn't believe in those kinds of things, but after all he'd witnessed in the last several months—what he'd become _capable_ of in the last few—he had come to accept those types of things more then he used to. And—considering it involved Mako...he couldn't seem to ignore the significance in that.

Tahno needed to clear his mind. He was still tired; it didn't seem like there was any way he could remedy that, as he was exhausted all the time nowadays (the reason for which he was well aware of), but he knew laying down and trying to get some sleep was a futile feat at best, and a fool's at that. So he rolled out of bed, fought with the dizziness he faced as he got to his feet, got dressed quickly and then made his way to the door and departed through it.

As he aimlessly wandered the hallways that were unfamiliar to him even in the light, although they were darkened in shades of midnight, a figure passed him by like a specter in the dark. He almost paid it no mind until he noticed it stop, and heard a voice speak.

"The young man with the spiritual insight." The shade took hold of the ex-bender's shoulder. Without any prior notice, the shade spirited him through the hallways, leading him around the premises as fast as his legs could carry him. Tahno couldn't make out the shade's identity, if it were even human or actually a spirit. All he knew was that it had a purpose in mind, and was intent on following through with its plan.

XoXoX

After several breathing exercises and meditative attempts, Korra finally managed to break from her physical body and transcend to the Spirit World in spirit form. When she reached the other side, she came upon a realm completely different from her previous experience; instead of a world captivated by unearthly vegetation and brilliant hues, it was a dark forest toned in sepia. The landscape more resembled a swamp, she realized, as she began looking around.

Thankfully, Avatar Aang came along to act as a guide to the Face Stealer's abode. He left her with a parting message of watching her expression—making sure not to express anything, lest the Face Stealer get her face. Korra acknowledged the message with a thanks, and her predecessor left her to tackle the rest of the trek on her own.

When she discovered the dreaded Face Stealer, his back was turned to her—a very long, insect-like body with rows upon rows of centipede-like appendages. The body was grotesque, and when Koh turned to face her, disproportionate to the size of his head. The most normal facet of Koh's features was the very thing that gave him his dreaded name.

"It's been near three-quarters of a century since the last time an Avatar has graced me with their presence." Koh spoke with a sweet humanoid voice emerging from exaggerated carmine lips. Those lips twisted into a grin as he offered her, "Ah, Avatar Korra—I have long been expecting your arrival."

XoXoX

The trio hadn't been able to leave that demolished town in the pocket of the woods until well after nightfall, as it took Oogi longer to recover than Kya first suspected. Thankfully, with some help from the small community they were stranded in, Oogi gained enough strength back to continue their journey. In the process, they gained some supplies—foodstuffs to tide them over for a day or so, water to keep them from going thirsty, and a change of clothing to replace their damaged garments. It was a thankful exchange for all the reconstruction help the small community received from the trio while their skybison healed. Bolin dished out all the thanks while Iroh gathered all the acquired supplies and adequately packed them up.

"Are you certain it wouldn't be best to wait until morning before you take off?" The woman with the hoard of cats asked the elder waterbender as she situated Oogi's saddle into place. Kya turned to her, smiling gratefully, but also regretful.

"It's important we catch up to Hiroshi Sato as soon as possible, I'm afraid," Kya informed her. "We've already lost some ground because of our delay, and we don't have much more we can waste." She looked skyward towards the moon overhead. "The moon should provide ample enough light to see by, and I do have a firebending master in my presence." She shot a quick glance in Iroh's direction, thankful he was in her company.

"I wish you the best of luck catching up to the man then," The woman replied.

Another young woman came to stand beside her elder, expressing verbally, "Make that man pay for the damage he inflicted on our home for us!"

Kya smiled, "We will."

The woman with the cats then turned her attention towards the young earthbender, "I hope you're able to rescue that beautiful young lady that spent the night at my place. Also—good luck getting your brother back as well."

Bolin smiled at that, climbing up onto Oogi's back alongside Iroh. "I'll be certain to do that!" The small gathering of townsfolk waved as Kya mounted Oogi, and signaled takeoff. Bolin and Iroh looked over their shoulders as the town grew smaller behind them, waving back.

XoXoX

Eventually Tahno and his shadowy _guide_ arrived in a room he recognized as the throne room he was shown into earlier, although it was deep in shadows and mostly devoid of the life that had been present the last time he was there. It wasn't completely devoid of the living, however; as soon as he came to a halt in front of the throne with his _spectral_ guide, a figure emerged from the depths of the shadows.

"Korra told me she needed the Oasis to herself. Before that I finished with my visitation with the Moon Spirit. I was on my way to my room when I found him wandering the halls." Tahno turned to stare at his so-called _guide,_ recognizing it as one of the twins standing beside Unalaq earlier in the evening. "My father told me to bring you to him if I saw you emerge from your room any time during the night."

Speaking of which, the figure by the throne—Tahno could now see it was Chief Unalaq standing there. "Eska, thank you for bringing him to me. You should go get some rest," He said to his daughter—from what the ex-bender guessed.

Eska took her leave, slipping into the shadows in much the same manner as she arrived. "That was my daughter, Eska," Unalaq explained. The chief then took a seat, summoning the ex-bender towards him as their eyes met in the dark. "I wanted to speak to you about your spiritual abilities."

Tahno cautiously stepped forward. "What'd you want to know about it?"

"What is the extent of your knowledge on spiritual matters?" Unalaq asked him.

"A little, I guess," Tahno replied, shuffling nervously. "I know about Princess Yue and the tale about how she became the Moon Spirit, and a few things about some spiritual hotspots and what the Spirit World looks like from the times I've visited it. I also know some stuff about the Face Stealer—how ugly he is in appearance, how bad his breath stinks, and how he can steal people's faces when you show even a little emotion in front of him. He told me about Kuruk's tale and how he abducted Kuruk's fiancé from the Spirit Oasis somewhere here in the Northern Water Tribe. I've also chatted with a good many human spirits—deceased friends, family...and some folks I didn't really know or wished I hadn't met."

Unalaq asked, "Were you planning to go back to sleep?"

"Bad dreams are keeping me from getting much of that," Tahno told him. "Why?"

"I want to show you around, familiarize you with the premises, if you don't mind," Unalaq replied. "We can chat about spiritual matters and yourself while I'm showing you around. Also—once Korra's finished with her business there, I want to introduce you to the Spiritual Oasis."

"Might as well," Tahno shrugged.

Unalaq got to his feet. "Let's begin then." He showed the ex-bender forward with a gesture of his hand, and Tahno followed.


	24. Chapter 24

"I came here because I need some answers from you," Korra spoke in as neutral a tone as she could muster. She hoped to keep the same level of neutrality throughout her confrontation with the Face Stealer, and would persistently fight with herself to achieve it. "I know that you've foreseen everything that's happened so far with Hiroshi, and I'll ask more about that in a moment, but what I really want to know more about it is this: I've been told that you're expecting me and Mako to make some sacrifices, and that the loss of his bending happens to be one of them. I want to know what else you expect us to sacrifice—and what I need to do to restore Mako's bending."

"Yes, I have known for some time that you would eventually come to _face_ me in order to seek answers for the questions you have asked, and yes—I have foreseen much of what has played out in this tale involving Hiroshi Sato," Koh replied. The Face Stealer paused a long moment, watching the Avatar carefully. Korra had to struggle against flinching at that moment. He continued when she luckily managed to keep her control. "Are you aware of what your predecessor Aang came here for the first time he visited me? The crisis involving the Moon Spirit—and the sacrifice Princess Yue made to save the Moon Spirit?"

Korra had to fight not to sigh and roll her eyes in frustration. "Yes—I've been told an in-depth version of the tale from both my waterbending sifu, who was Aang's wife, and my uncle, the current chief of the Northern Water Tribe," she said. "Why?"

"There are a few pieces of insight I would like you to gain from the tale and Yue's path," Koh explained. He was coiled around the bend in the ceiling, clinging with his centipede-like appendages from above to look at her closely. "Like Yue's struggle between duty and love. She had a duty to her people and her affianced, but she was also falling in love with Avatar Aang's brother-in-law. She knew her place, but kept being influenced by his affections for her—and being drawn towards him as a result. In the end, when the Fire Nation admiral, Zhao, chose his own karmic path by trying to end the life of the Moon Spirit, Yue chose her own by restoring the life the Moon Spirit gave to her back from where she got it—which in turn left her sacrificing her_ own_ life."

"Yeah, pretty boy was telling me about how you were disappointed by how me and Mako's relationship affected Asami and how I misused the Avatar State for cheating in a game...amongst other things," Korra replied. "My relationship with Mako—is that why you're telling me about Yue's struggle over choosing between her duty and love? You're expecting us to make sacrifices in order to not make the same mistakes we made in the past?"

"These _sacrifices_ you're expecting me to ask you to make—it's all karmic in nature. Actions—causes, lead to results, a sequence of events resulting from those actions—and so on and so forth. Take for example the lesson I forced your predecessor Kuruk to learn: that his arrogance has no place in the responsibilities or the role of the Avatar; also the one that admiral Zhao ultimately learned when he thought he could trifle with the spirits, and paid for his arrogance with his life."

Koh's face blinking from his usual to that of an unusual _demonic_ blue face almost caused her to jump back. It resulted in her nerves being electrically charged as she kept her calm.

"Or the path the ex-waterbender you know as Tahno had to _face_, how he—like your predecessor—had to realize the errors of his own arrogance while he's walked his path to humility in the past several months. He also had to learn that there were consequences to his actions—the lying and the cheating—through that path. How his downfall led to extra focus being put on he and his teammates actions—and how, as a result, it revealed an awful truth about the ex-waterbender that's led to the abuse he's faced in the months since. Led to the sacrifice his lover was willing to make to save him, the suicide attempt your lover _saved_ him from—and the course the firebender's rescue set the ex-waterbender on and the efforts he's made to redeem himself for his past mistakes since then."

Koh leaned in closer, his hot stench-y breath passing through his twisted open-mouthed carmine grin. "Karma is a sequence of causes and effects, and when the causes and effects end up repeated—they create a pattern. A pattern that ends up repeated until it can be corrected, or leads to...problems only repeating themselves." Koh pulled in extra close to the young Avatar's face, making her really struggle against twitching her nose at the stench of his breath, or flinch at their startlingly close proximity. "Your karma as the Avatar...if you're not careful, you could repeat the same pattern as your predecessor Kuruk and become arrogant like he did. And, speaking of patterns—have you not noticed that the firebender has been repeating one himself recently? One that he first started with his relationship with _you_?"

"Yeah, I'm aware of the fact that Mako's been showing the same patterns with pretty boy that he did with me when we kept our feelings for each other from Asami until things got outta control—pretty boy pointed that out to me _himself_," Korra replied, struggling not to act perturbed. "What I _want_ to know is about the other thing pretty boy pointed out that I've already mentioned—what do you expect the both of us to sacrifice in order to please you, and _how_ do I go about restoring Mako's bending?"

"The loss of his bending is the firebender's—and your—first sacrifice. Getting his bending back—that'll depend on the firebender learning from _all _of his choices and his indecisiveness. His karma has led him down a troubled path—one that in turn has troubled _yours_." Koh got confrontational with her again before adding. "Do you recall what he wanted you to deny the ex-waterbender and his White Falls Wolfbats teammates of a while back?"

_After Korra's bending was returned, she immediately headed back to Republic City to repair the damage that Amon had left with his campaign. The two brothers, Asami, Tenzin and his family, and Lin Beifong returned with her as well. A few weeks had passed since she left, and she knew there was a lot of work that she needed to do. People had spent much of the last couple days lining up in anticipation of the Avatar healing them. After two days straight of it, Korra was completely exhausted._

_She was standing on the balcony of one of the towering structures of Air Temple Island, taking in the city skyline at dusk. Standing beside her was her firebender companion, her love. They stood there overlooking the city, enjoying it in peace—a much-needed break after two hectic, jam-packed afternoons in a row._

"_What percentage of Amon's victims do you think I handled these past two days?" Korra curiously inquired of her firebender. She turned to look at him, and he to she. "A quarter, half—more, less? What do you think, Mako?"_

_Mako quickly glanced towards the city, taking on his characteristic contemplative expression. "Couldn't give you an exact number, Korra, but—I'd say maybe...a third?"_

"_I guess I should prepare myself for a few more days like this," Korra remarked. Mako smiled very slightly, looking her way._

"_Probably wouldn't hurt," Mako replied. "I'll be here if you end up burnt out."_

"_I appreciate that," Korra smiled gratefully. "Hey, Mako? Do you think I should be returning everybody's bending so willingly? Do you think...I should have a few of them earn it back first?"_

"_If I were you—I definitely wouldn't bother with the triad gangsters with the heftier criminal records. As for the ones with fewer crimes tacked onto their records—make them sweat. Don't give it back to them unless they can prove without a doubt they can drop the lifestyle and reform themselves," Mako suggested. _

_Korra looked out across the bay, eyes catching sight of the newly reconstructed Probending arena, lit up in its golden glory. "What about our rivals in the probending finals, the Wolfbats—Tahno, Ming, and Shaozu?"_

_Mako frowned at the mention of their former rivals. "Maybe it'd deflate their oversized egos if you refused to restore their bending to them for a while. Maybe it'd even humble Tahno and his teammates if they had to earn the right to get it back. Force them to sit out one probending season before they can compete again."_

"_Don't you think being showed up on stage by Amon right after claiming their fourth championship might've been enough?" Korra looked at him quizzically. _

"_I think they need time and some motivation to reform. If you give it back to them too quickly, they'll just return right back to their old habits."_

"_I don't know," Korra replied uncertainly. "You didn't see Tahno at the station like I did. He looked...how do I describe it? Like somebody close to him had just died. He looked depressed."_

"_Who's to say he wasn't putting on a 'pity me' face to appeal to the police or something—or make you feel bad for him in particular?" Mako pointed out to her. "Face it, Korra—that trio's known for their lying and cheating. He could've been playing you for sympathy."_

"_I don't know..." Korra looked out at the arena again, troubled. "If you really think I should hold off on doing it to deflate those big egos of theirs—I guess I can do that."_

The realization almost caused her to openly react. She managed to catch herself in time. "Yeah, Mako wanted me to deny them of their bending," Korra replied.

"The firebender—Mako—needs to understand how his actions impact yours, and you in turn need to learn to be wiser with how you take other's advice, and the decisions you yourself make. He also needs to understand the consequences of his actions—and that you can't be the solution to his current predicament," Koh responded. "About the firebender getting his bending back..."

Korra had to suppress expressing outward anticipation. "Yes?"

"...He can only have it restored under the right circumstances—and also at my approval," Koh stated. "Also, something he and the ex-waterbender have done recently has...affected him in such a way that _you_ are not able to restore it, and even if that were _not_ the case...your ability to restore the bending of Hiroshi's victims, including the firebender, will depend on the outcome of the situation involving Hiroshi—if you can put a stop to it or not."

"What...do you mean by that?" Korra asked.

"When Hiroshi claimed his method was permanent, he's correct," Koh replied. "But only if he succeeds with his plan. Thwart him, and you'll be able to restore what Hiroshi's stolen—save for the firebender of course."

"About that—what do you mean that something he and pretty boy did has affected his chances of getting his bending back?" Korra asked him.

"The firebender has been altered in a way that something of an anomaly's been created for him due to the fact that he and the ex-waterbender have...linked energies. The anomaly is something that only the ex-waterbender himself can resolve—which is one of the reasons why _you _are incapable of restoring the firebender's bending—besides at my willing," Koh responded.

"Care to explain how they managed to link energies?" Korra asked.

Koh twisted those carmine lips into an almost malicious grin as he eluded her question with another response. "There is another reason, beside for the sakes of all of Hiroshi's bending victims, that _you_ might particularly wish to thwart Hiroshi before his plan is successful."

Korra almost exclaimed '_what might that be?'_ but she caught herself in time to keep it emotionless.

"All I can tell you is that you should put more emphasis on getting his daughter out of his grasp. Doing so could help in maintaining the balance. It will also help _maintain_ her life as well." Koh grinned as he did a quick blink to another face, almost doubly off-guarding the Avatar in the process. Korra was finding it harder not to react. He took on the face of a beautiful water tribe woman with chocolate brown eyes.

"I want you to think hard, Avatar Korra, about karma—the causes and effects that _you_ have particularly witnessed. Remember the tale of Yue and the Moon Spirit, and make sure that certain _events_ don't repeat themselves. For if they do...the consequences could be...dire—especially for the firebender." The change back to his trademark face almost made Korra jump out of her skin. It was just by sheer luck that she managed to hold herself together.

Koh took on a contemplative expression. "I would love to add an Avatar's face to my collection—especially one as beautiful as yours—but I must inform you that you should head back to the Spirit Oasis. Something there will soon require...your attention."

"Like what?" Korra asked.

Instead of giving her a response to that, the Face Stealer said, "Remember to tell the young man you call _pretty boy_ that the physical entrance to the Spirit World is right below where Tui and La swim. Inform him to be prepared for a long trip between our two realms, and that I await his arrival."

"And be certain he survives so that he can accomplish his goal—"

Korra would have sighed as she turned to depart, but she knew the cost that would have come with that expression, so she silently left as she heard the Face Stealer's eerie laughter echoing off the walls of his labyrinth.

XoXoX

Over the course of the next two hours Chief Unalaq familiarized the ex-bender with most of the palace grounds and much of the premises indoors. After walking for what seemed like forever, Tahno's feet were starting to get sore.

"One more sight for the evening, I promise," Unalaq told him after noticing the ex-bender was favoring one particularly sore foot. "Korra should be nearly finished with her task out here, but even so, let's enter as quietly as we can." Tahno didn't answer, only following as the chief took the lead. After a few meaningless twists and turns he was led into an unusually warm garden of sorts surrounded on all sides by high rises of ice, a small circular channel of water, and a waterfall cascading downward behind the verdant island, acting as it's mystical backdrop under the moonlight.

"This is the Spirit Oasis, home to Tui and La," Unalaq explained as he led the way forward.

"Isn't this where Kuruk lost his fiancé to the Face Stealer?" Tahno asked.

"Yes, on the eve of their wedding, it is said that Koh emerged through a gateway connecting our realm to the Spirit World at the bottom of Tui and La's pond," Unalaq replied. "Are you fairly familiar with the tale?"

"I learned about it directly from the Face Stealer himself," Tahno said.

"Tenzin mentioned that you have been in communication with Koh several times since you were in the Southern Water Tribe," Unalaq said. "It must have been an interesting experience—facing Koh."

Tahno nodded. "Interesting doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Have you ever considered further educating yourself on spiritual matters?" Unalaq asked him.

Tahno shrugged. "I never really thought it over. My main priority lately has just been survival."

"When this situation is over, you should consider it," Unalaq suggested. "You are a waterbender, right?"

"_Was_," Tahno emphasized.

"In your heart you will always be a waterbender, and once Korra has had a chance to restore it, you will be one once more," Unalaq reminded him. "Waterbending in its very nature is spiritual. The first waterbender was the moon, and ancient waterbenders derived the ability by observing the way she moved the tides. The knowledge will more than likely help you to understand your bending better once it's restored. Also—considering that you have been exposed to more spiritual matters firsthand than most people have—it might provide some insight on what you have experienced since obtaining your spiritual ability."

"I'll have to think about it," Tahno replied.

Something in the atmosphere of the place was mystical, almost magical as Unalaq led him across one of the bridges towards the green island at the center. On the island on the other side was Korra, sitting still and silent beside the edge of a little pond. She appeared to be in some sort of trance, probably having one of her out-of-body, Avatar experiences Tahno surmised.

Korra remained still even as they drew closer to where she was, even as they came up right beside her. Noticing that nothing they could do would rouse her from her _spell_, Tahno knelt by the water's edge near to the Avatar and looked into the pool.

"Tui and La," Unalaq stated. "The Moon Spirit and the Ocean Spirit."

Under the water's surface, below the moon-reflected ripples, Tahno noticed the pair of koi, one black and one white, swimming in tandem with one another. Circling each other in an almost mesmerizing fashion, dizzying to the senses—

While his eyes were fixated on the two swirling spirits, he felt the draw of an unknown force pulling him towards the water, beckoning him wordlessly from beneath the surface. Tahno leaned closer to the water, trying to listen to and make sense of the message in the alluring force, but he couldn't seem to. He leaned closer and closer until he was teetering on the edge of the pond, in danger of falling in.

And then Tahno lost his balance and sunk, headfirst, directly into the depths of the pond. He attempted to move his arms and legs to swim upwards, get his head above the water's tension, but he found his limbs were useless—useless as limp noodles.

His first thought as he sunk deeper was that he should be afraid. But he wasn't. For some reason he felt at peace, unafraid, as if he knew without really knowing that he wasn't in any danger there under the water's surface. He wondered if it was something in the presence of the two fish that were now circling around him as he continued to float there, as Tui and La took turns encircling him loosely.

Faintly, he caught the essence of words ringing in his head, words that were wordless yet translated somehow into a language he could comprehend. _Have no fear_. He heard distinctly, as if it were being whispered directly into his ear. _We know that you are weakened, and we only wish to help you out with that. The waters of our sacred pond have special healing properties, and you will need as much strength as possible to face the tasks that lay ahead of you._

Tahno felt arms grasping him around the waist, pulling him upwards until he finally broke the water's surface. He took in that one crucial breath that brought him back to his senses as he floated there a moment before being hauled out of the pond.

"I get back from the Spirit World only to discover that you've fallen into Tui and La's pond!" he heard Korra exclaiming loudly, and irritably, as she pulled him out of the pool. "What in the world got you to make such an idiotic move?" She was just climbing out herself, using her bending to clear the water from her hair and dry her garments. Next she dried him off using the same method.

"Some wordless voice was calling me from the water," Tahno tried explaining, coughing up some water before he could clarify.

"You didn't have to lean over the water to hear it!" Korra yelled at him, letting out an exasperated breath. "Geez!"

"Are you going to be okay?" Tahno noticed Unalaq was still there for the first time since he fell in. His face was cast in a serious expression, hints of worry carrying in his voice.

"I should b—" Tahno started coughing again before he finished what he was saying. Korra smacked him lightly on the back until the water was expelled completely from his lungs.

"Uncle, are you done with him?" Korra looked to Unalaq. "I need to talk to him."

"If he is okay, then yes," Unalaq looked to the ex-bender for clarification. Tahno exchanged quick glances back and forth between the chief and the Avatar before settling on the chief. Tahno only nodded, not wanting to break out in a coughing fit all over again.

"I expect to see the two of you here early tomorrow morning to begin your teachings. I think it would be essential for you both to be present," Unalaq informed them, making sure they knew he was addressing both of them. "I will see you then."

Tahno stared after the chief as he sat up straight, wanting to protest the request. But before he could get a word of it out Unalaq had departed, leaving him in the company of the Avatar. Korra, he noticed, was in an unusual mood just then. She'd told her uncle that she wanted to speak to him, but as soon as Unalaq left, she acted as if she was oblivious to his presence. He sat there, looking her way, waiting for her to speak. For a good long while she continually refused to acknowledge his presence.

"I thought you needed to talk to me." Tahno broke the excruciating silence growing between them. "If you're just going to sit there, ignoring me, I'm just going to head back in—" He was getting to his feet when she dragged him back down to the ground again. He stared hard at her, wondering what the deal was.

"I was just thinking," Korra told him harshly.

"Thinking so hard you couldn't bear to look my way?" Tahno questioned, finally gaining her fully attention.

"Dealing with Koh wasn't very fun for me, okay?" Korra shot back exasperatedly. She closed her eyes, as if to collect her thoughts, and then sighed. "Look—my visit with the Face Stealer left me with a lot to think about, so I'm not exactly the most clear-headed right now."

"I get that—visits to that creepy spirit can do quite a clusterfuck to the brain," Tahno replied. "So—what_ did_ you need to tell me anyway? Learn something vital while chatting with the Face Stealer?"

"I—" Korra looked at him a moment and then turned away, looking towards Tui and La instead. "It doesn't really have anything to do with what I learned from Koh." She continued to watch the Spirits water dance. "It's more...something I wanted to ask that wasn't related to it."

Tahno looked at her oddly, although she didn't notice. "Like what exactly?"

"Theoretically speaking, if I were to tell you that—once all this was over and everything was said and done with—I wanted you to keep your distance from Mako afterwards, what would you say?" Korra asked him seriously, finally looking his direction.

Tahno looked at her strangely at first. Without even thinking it over first, he answered with, "I'd tell you that you shouldn't even bother trying to restore my bending, because—if I wasn't allowed to be friends with Mako when all this is over...I'd rather you just let me die so at least I could be with Ming. I couldn't stand to still be around and lose all contact with the one person that helped me get through all the shit I've faced because of this mess Sato's created."

"That's what you'd actually say?" Korra asked for confirmation.

Tahno firmly gave it to her. "Yes. I'd rather be dead then have Mako cut out of my life completely."

"I see." Korra fell silent again, once more caught up on her thoughts.

"Was there a reason why you bothered to ask me that? Thinking of telling me to stay away from Mako or something?" Tahno questioned her. "If you're so worried about that...don't be. I already told you where I stand with him, and have no intention of interfering with you or him."

"I wasn't thinking of actually telling you that, I was just curious what you'd say if I did," Korra sighed, tiredly looking his way. "I asked it to clarify something for myself, that's all."

"Clarify what?" Tahno asked.

"Just trying to understand why you took the blow for me when Hiroshi tried striking me down at the demonstration while I was in the Avatar State," Korra replied, turning her eyes away from him and adding in a lower voice. "Amongst other things."

"I already told you—I made a promise to Mako, and I went out of my way to keep it," Tahno told her. "I told him that I owe him my life for what he did for me, and that I would go to any length to make sure he got you back in one piece. That's my pledge, and so far...that's what I'm sticking to."

"So...the move wasn't selfish?" Korra asked him.

"Did what I just said suggest to you that it was?" Tahno questioned her.

Korra hesitated before answering with, "No."

Silence fell between them for a while, both of them dealing with their own form of mental confliction.

Tahno broke the silence when he hesitantly asked her, "Speaking of Mako—when you talked to Koh, did he mention anything about him at all?"

"Yeah...Koh told me I'm not going to be the one who'll be able to restore his bending—that the choice will be left up to him whether Mako gets it back or not—that the thing could become permanent for all Hiroshi's victims if he isn't stopped," Korra told him.

"Did Koh mention anything strange to you about...Mako's condition?" Tahno asked.

Korra looked up at him quizzically. "Huh?"

"Did he say anything about Mako getting sick, or that he might be..." Tahno paused a moment, the words getting hard to force out. "...Dying?"

"Where did you get that from?" Korra exclaimed.

"From these stupid dreams I keep having about him!" Tahno exclaimed in response.

"Dreams?" Korra eyes narrowed at him. "That _erotic_ one you had the day you awoke from your _coma?_"

"Yeah—_that_ one," Tahno snipped, sighing exasperatedly. "I keep having the same damn thing almost every night I've fallen asleep since then."

"How did you get the concept of Mako _dying_ from _erotic_ _fantasies_ you keep having of him?" Korra shot at him.

"Forget about the erotic part of the damn dream and just listen!" Tahno retorted irritably. "Towards the end of the dream, it changes. One moment Mako's touch is warm and inviting, the next—it freaking ice cold. Cold as death even. And then—when I suddenly wake from it...the same chill from the dream continues to affect me while I'm still awake. The dream just...lingers, like its more than just a dream—like it's a message, an—omen."

"So? What are you trying to make of it?" Korra questioned him, arms crossed over her chest.

"I get the feeling that something's wrong," Tahno explained. "That maybe...Mako's dying."

"Koh brought up a few things involving Mako, but he didn't mention anything about him _dying_," Korra told him. "Are you sure you're not reading too much into these crazy dreams of yours? That maybe you're just disappointed that they always turn out that way or something?"

"If there's any disappointment over them—it's because of the eerie feeling I _get_ from them," Tahno countered. "You can believe me or not, but I think Fireboy's in serious trouble. I can't explain why, or how—but that's the feeling I keep getting."

"Please don't call him Fireboy!" Korra exclaimed, her tone unexpectedly pained. "Koh's expecting Mako to pay with the loss of his bending because some of his decisions weren't to Koh's liking, and he explicitly told me I wouldn't be the one able to restore it for him! The circumstances have to play out right according to Koh if Mako's ever to get his bending back; it's part of our sacrifice for the lesson Koh wants us to learn from and—" She paused a moment, burdened by her thoughts. "Please don't call Mako _Fireboy_ because—because there's a chance he might _never_ regain his firebending!"

"That's the first time you've mentioned what Koh wants from you and Mako that I'm aware of," Tahno stated. "What all about Mako did the Face Stealer mention to you exactly? And what does he expect from both of you? Did he actually tell you about what he wanted specifically?"

Korra wasn't looking at him again, lost to her inner thoughts. "Right now...I don't think I have the energy to talk about it," she got to her feet. "Look—it's getting late, and I'm wiped. Why don't we call it a night and get some rest? Tomorrow's gonna be a long day, and the last full one before Hiroshi comes to make trouble for us all."

"I—I think I'm going to stay out here for a while," Tahno told her. "You can head in and get some sleep. I—can't though. Every time I try I'm bombarded by those nightmares. I'm hoping that getting in a little peace and quiet here, I can settle my mind down enough to eventually get some actual good sleep."

"Suit yourself," Korra replied. "Just don't stay out here all night. The greenery out here isn't quite as comfy as a real bed." Before he could even bother to ask her more about what she learned from Koh, especially in regards to Mako in particular, she walked off, leaving him to his thoughts. He noticed she had been shorter with him then she'd been, but he let that thought drift as he tried to gain some peace of mind.

In the end he attempted meditation, as his sessions with Tenzin proved useful to him in that sense in the past. Eventually it did him some good—so much so that he ended up curling up in the grass a few feet from the water's edge and falling asleep there into a nice, dreamless slumber.

XoXoX

Korra was thankful for once to be alone inside the confines of the room reserved for her during visits with her uncle and cousins when she alone or with her parents chose to stop in growing up. She was extremely weary and agitated—not a good mix for her with company. Especially not the likes of the ex-bender at that moment; her thoughts were in conflict in concerns to him.

What did Koh mean there was something only Tahno could do to help Mako out that she couldn't interfere with? And what was it about the ex-bender's crazy, erotic dreams that were getting to her especially? Korra hadn't wanted to admit it to him, but Tahno's strange dreams involving Mako worried her. Mako's life put in jeopardy because of something he did? Was Mako _really_ dying like Tahno feared he might be?

Thinking of that brought to mind the fact that she hadn't informed the ex-bender of the fact that she had deliberately chosen not to restore the trio's bending when she should have, that Mako had been the one to make the suggestion not to do it to her. Korra felt guilty about holding that back from Tahno, and not making the effort to restore the trio's bending so many months before.

How much of what was currently going on could have been prevented if she'd done that instead of denying the debent Wolfbats their bending? Would Mako still be in trouble like he currently was? How about Asami? Would Hiroshi even have conceived of his plan if those three hadn't been available to be his pawns? Would any of what was going on involving Hiroshi even have been possible if she had done the _right thing_ earlier?

And what about Tahno himself? Would he have even turned a whole new leaf, or would he be the same as he was before? Would Ming still be around, and what about Shaozu? As she dwelled specifically on Tahno, she wondered what else would've changed if she'd returned the trio's bending when she should have. Would he and Mako have had that chance meeting, befriended each other—or even fallen for each other at all? The more she thought about it, the more remorse she felt about not having done it sooner, that she'd held out to the point where it was nearly too late—or too late in one case—to restore the Wolfbats bending to them.

Korra was pacing the room as her mind was caught in a miasma of inner turmoil. What she should have done—shouldn't—it was too much to dwell on this close to Hiroshi Sato's plans being enacted. Was Tahno's struggle a lesson to her as well? Koh had made a point of mentioning his struggles over the past several months to her—even used it as an example of the role a cheater's actions can have on their futures, the consequences that resulted from those actions after they occurred. Tahno had been a cheater—but then so had _she_—

Korra quit pacing and plopped harshly on her bed. She curled up in a ball at the center, pulling the sheets aggressively around her and then trying to get some sleep, but her mind was too active to rest, and she spent much of the night trying to calm it down.

XoXoX

Tenzin awoke especially early that morning. Before going to bed the previous eve, he had made his preparations for the trip. Fifteen minutes after he awoke and dressed, a phone call came in from Bumi, saying that the crew was ready for the launch out to sea whenever everyone else was. Tenzin told his older brother that there were a few things he needed to tend to before leaving the island, and then he would be right over.

After he hung up, Tenzin looked out the window onto the expanse of Air Temple Island and the city that lay across Yue Bay from there. He sighed, and then got to his tasks. He spent a half hour meditating after dealing with the last details, and then left to meet up with Lin and Bumi across the bay. He took his glider for the trip.

Lin, meanwhile, was busy making her last minute preparations with her officers back at the station. She got a few of her metalbenders to volunteer their time for the trip, while she and Ishio covered any last minute details he felt he needed to address before her departure. After they were through, Lin rounded up the officers going with—five in all—and headed out to port to meet up with Tenzin and Bumi.

Along the way, Lin encountered the Lieutenant and the young waterbender that would be going along. Lin said a few formalities to the two before continuing the trip towards the city's docks. The metalbender felt uneasy about bringing a _child _on the mission, much less a former enemy—but to create the fog cover they needed to disguise their location out at sea, she knew they would need a waterbender small enough to perch on Tenzin's back while he was using his glider to spread the mist, one that wouldn't weigh him down in the process of doing so. None of the waterbenders onboard Bumi's vessel was small enough for the task.

It was one of those rare moments where both Lin and Tenzin simultaneously wished that they had Oogi there to come along with them for the trip—

Bumi was waiting for them, as effervescent in personality as ever. He called loudly out them as they approached, embarrassing them with a loud howl before reaching him.

"Weather's looking promising, so we should make good time," Bumi informed his brother and old childhood friend as they approached. "Crew's ready and raring to hit the sea, so let's get to it, shall we?" Bumi showed them the way onboard and to where they could stow their belongings, and then met up with his second in command, giving him the order to leave port. And then they were making their way out to sea—with three old childhood friends standing by the railings as the city shrunk in the distance little by little, and the ocean swallowed them up in her vastness.


	25. Chapter 25

Tahno awoke to beams of sunlight warming him up, as he lay curled up on top of the soft green grassy patch beneath him. Slowly he stretched, waiting until he was fully sitting before taking the opportunity to open his eyes and fully take in his environment.

"Tranquil out here, isn't it?" The ex-bender almost jumped at the suddenness of the voice. He came very close to tumbling over the edge of Tui and La's pool and back into the water like the previous eve. As he was getting himself composed, he heard soft, melodious laughter. He then spied the culprit across the water from him, the twin who had spirited him through the halls the night before.

"It's Eska," she said, her voice not as gloomy or mysterious as it came off sounding the previous eve. The Water Tribe Princess by daylight wasn't near as eerie either, although she still had a mystical air about her.

Tahno shook the sleep from his mind and then looked at her awhile without saying a word. She didn't seem to mind the silence, almost seeming to relish it. Her powder-blue irises stayed level with his icy blues, never once wavering.

"Princess Yue watched over you last night, did you know that?" Eska spoke again, eyes still connected with his. "She said you were special, that you have a—very...unique spiritual connection."

"Yeah," Tahno finally got the mind to speak. He stretched a little more, working the knots out from sleeping curled up all night.

"Did you sleep well?"

Tahno looked at Eska. "Come to think of it—I got the best sleep I've had in a while out here."

"It's the tranquility of the atmosphere out here," Eska told him. "There have been several occasions where I slept through the night out here myself."

"Do you do that kind of thing often?" Tahno asked her.

Eska responded with, "When I feel the need to." She reached for something beside her. "I come out here every morning before the rest of the palace awakes to visit with the spirits. Its my morning ritual." She looked to the pond then, the pair of koi swimming there in circles around one another. "When I got out here this morning, I saw you sleeping. I thought it might be nice to bring you something to eat for breakfast, since I believe you didn't have anything before bed last night." She produced a tray and eating utensils, bringing them over and handing them to him. He took them, offering his thanks in exchange. She reclaimed her previous spot, sitting there and watching him while he ate.

"My father said he would be out here in a short while," Eska said while he continued eating. "Korra should be as well."

After Tahno finished with a bite, "Did you talk to Korra today?"

"We talked over breakfast."

"Did she mention her visit with the Face Stealer?" Tahno asked her.

"Only briefly," Eska replied. "Talking about it seemed to trouble her."

"Any idea why?" Tahno asked.

Eska replied, "I can only guess that it has something to do with Mako."

"Any clue what specifically?" Tahno asked.

Eska shrugged. "Korra seems torn up by the fact that she won't be able to help him out."

"I got that impression when we discussed it a bit last night," Tahno replied. While he continued to eat, Eska silently watched him. When he was done, he set aside the tray and utensils and looked at the Water Tribe Princess. "Do you know why your father thought it would be necessary for me to be here during Korra's spiritual lessons?" he questioned her.

"My father wants you to learn more about spiritual matters along with Korra," Eska told him simply. "After he spoke with Tenzin about the current spiritual matter, my father also wants to discuss strategy with you both on how to deal with Hiroshi Sato's spiritual aide, and the circumstances of how they built up this partnership. Considering it has a lot to do with revenge, bringing about the universal removal of bending, and the destruction of Republic City—all the work Korra's predecessor Aang constructed after the hundred-year war ended—my father finds it especially vital that Korra finds a way to link up with this spirit and convince it that seeking revenge and destruction isn't the way to solve it's problems. She needs to find a way to show it that there's a better solution to the problem—and my father wants to discuss possible solutions that might work in convincing the spirit of that."

Tahno said, "I guess he wants me here to discuss strategy with them then."

Eska gave a slight nod, adding, "You also might learn some important things from the lesson that will prove to be useful."

"Yeah—he suggested the same thing when he was giving me the palace tour last night," Tahno replied. He stared into the pond, watching Tui and La circle each other awhile. He watched as she dipped her hand into the pool, as the koi nibbled softly on the tips of her fingers. He noticed her face was awash in a serene aura as she dangled her fingers in front of the fish.

"Tui and La say that Mako and Korra aren't the only ones Koh expects something from," Eska spoke up without looking away from the two spirits dancing around her submerged fingers. "Koh wants something from you as well."

Tahno looked up at her quickly, quizzical. "What—after all I've been through over the past several months, the Face Stealer expects me to make a sacrifice as well?"

"He expects something different from you," Eska cryptically told him. Before the ex-bender could inquire about further details or an explanation, she looked past him in the direction of one of the bridges leading onto the island. His eyes followed hers, noticing the approach of the chief and the Avatar.

"Eska said you didn't take my advice last night and slept out here, pretty boy," Korra remarked as she came up behind her uncle Unalaq. She was staring at him, expression unreadable, as she took up the lotus position on the grass. As she did, Eska took her leave, greeting her father quickly before crossing over the bridge and disappearing.

"It wasn't that bad of an idea, actually," Tahno remarked in response. "I got better sleep out here then I've had in months."

"Whatever worked for you," Korra shrugged it off. She turned her attention quickly towards her uncle, who was taking a seat in a similar fashion to his niece right beside her. "How did you want to start this off—and with what?" She asked him.

"I want you both to explain to me the extent of your knowledge in spiritual matters, in detail. It will give me an idea on where you are knowledge-wise, and what direction I need to head towards in regards to your education. Also—" Unalaq aimed his attention towards the ex-bender. "We'll cut this short before lunch. I spoke with Unrak's brother, and have managed to set up a meeting between you and him to see if you can get through to Unrak in regards to your mother's location then. Afterwards, we'll eat and then come back here and further discuss what hasn't been covered beforehand, including strategy on how to deal with the situation involving Hiroshi and the spirit that is aiding him."

"Has my mother's husband shown any signs of coming out of his possessed funk at all?" Tahno asked him.

"Unrak's still unresponsive to his brother's pleas," Unalaq informed him. He turned to the Avatar. "Korra—what has Avatar Aang taught you about spiritual matters, and what have you witnessed through your own experiences regarding the subject?" Korra took her time to get comfortable before she began speaking. Tahno sat there casually listening as she told her uncle about her experiences with Avatar Aang, spirits, and the Spirit World.

Starting with the first encounter she had with her previous incarnation, she explained how Aang came to her when she felt like she was at the end of her rope after Amon stripped her of three of her four bending elements. Suicidal—her words seemed to give an indication of it; Korra had felt lost—like she had nothing left. She had felt like she could no longer fulfill her role as the Avatar, and that had clouded her mind with darkness—bleakness in regards of her future with that vital role. The ex-bender surely could relate to the feeling; he'd been there, done that.

She described how Aang taught her about energybending—the technique used to restore her bending, and the one she later used to restore the bending of most of Amon's other victims. While she was on the subject, her eyes quickly darted towards the ex-bender's direction several times, always quickly looking away, her expression pronouncedly growing more pensive as she continued. She then described the Avatar State—her first time entering it, and several other occasions she'd gone into it afterwards. The ex-bender caught hints of guilt as she noted a few instances like the time she used it to beat Tenzin's kids to the finish line in an airbending race—and then another when she used it to her advantage for another petty matter.

She then described her first encounter with the spirit that requested her presence in the Spirit World—how the first time she crossed paths with it, it attacked her, and she resorted to using the Avatar State to battle with it before managing to chase it off. She then described its attack on the festival she attended for her birthday, the threats it made—using Kuruk as an example of what could result if any other person interfered in the matter between the spirit and the Avatar, how she at the time felt it referenced how Kuruk lost his beloved to Koh's clutches, and how she hadn't wanted the same to occur to those she cared about the most.

Tahno caught the misery in her voice when she described the incident—the spirit's request for her audience and hers alone. The threat the spirit made to her regarding her loved ones—if they had chosen to interfere in its plans—he got the sense that she felt like it had happened anyways; that she felt guilt for not taking precautions and investigating the situation further to determine if it was a trap or not instead of walking blindly into it like she initially had. He sensed that she felt remorseful about what happened to Mako and Asami as a result of that, and it made him wonder if that was a part of the burden she was dealing with the previous night.

Did Korra feel guilty about what happened? But before Tahno could think to ask her about it, Unalaq was inquiring about his knowledge of spiritual matters in depth. Korra had finished telling hers, and they were waiting for him to speak his piece. Tahno suppressed his question, sighing instead and providing his response. He spent the next twenty minutes covering his bases before they broke up for lunch, and he headed with Unalaq to meet with Unrak's brother.

XoXoX

Eska was _eavesdropping_ on their discussion without either her father or his two _pupils'_ knowledge of her presence. It wasn't so much that she was interested in overhearing the lesson her father was going over with the two; she was compelled to stand there for two reasons: the first being that she had always been particularly fond of the Spirit Oasis, the other being the strange pale boy that came in Korra's company a couple days earlier.

Eska was fascinated by the young man for some reason, although she wasn't sure if it was a semblance of a crush that drew her attention towards him, or something about his aura—his spiritual _presence_—that caught her attention. Whatever it was though, she found him fascinating.

It was obvious Korra didn't find him all that fascinating, as every time she looked his way, her expression grew more deeply serious and troubled—if she dared to even look his way at all. From hints Eska was able to garner from snippets of conversation she had with Korra and the young man named Tahno, there was something complicated going on between them involving Mako somehow.

Her _replica_—her twin, Desna—slipped quietly by her side at one point, passing small talk between he and his sister for a few before he disappeared to do his daily usual once more. Desna, his sister knew, wasn't interested in their cousin's conflicts or the former waterbender's presence for that matter. He was more concerned about stability and keeping things in his life—and those that affected it—in order.

Upon her twin's departure, Eska returned her attention to the conversation that was taking place in her favorite sanctuary, listening as the former waterbender began speaking.

XoXoX

"Unrak said Nani had a son from her previous marriage, and that she was widowed a few years back," Unrak's brother, Konlaq, told the ex-bender while he was leading him and Chief Unalaq towards where his brother was being confined. "I met Nani a year back, and she is a nice woman." He looked at Tahno before adding, "You look a lot like her."

"I've been told that," Tahno replied.

"Did you inherit Nani's waterbending?" Konlaq inquired innocently.

"Yeah," Tahno replied neutrally. "Although—I can't exactly use it right now."

Unrak was restrained in a chair, his ankles and wrists bound behind him when Tahno was led in to see him. When Unalaq brought him over, he had explained his mother's husband's condition in further detail to him, how the man had sat there the past three days straight, staring vacantly ahead without saying a word, his eyes glossed over. Konlaq had said he was going out of his mind with frustration over Unrak's current unchanging state, and was worried about what might have happened to his wife out in the icy tundra.

"I hope you can manage to convince him to tell us her whereabouts," Konlaq told him. "Before something bad can happen to her anyways." He led the ex-bender right up in front of where Unrak was tied down.

Tahno bent down to level his gaze with Unrak's. He noticed the glossed over look to the man's eyes that was characteristic of spiritual possession. The ex-bender stood up straight, arms crossing over his chest as he stood there a moment collecting his thoughts.

"Hey, pathetic ex-Firelord—I know you're in there, and that Sato sent you to abduct my mother when I wasn't expecting it," Tahno leaned in close to the possessed man's face. "Ozai, was it? I never really could keep those details straight in school, since learning about an _incompetent_ Firelord never really interested me that much."

Unrak's eyes focused on him then, narrowing as they met up with the ex-waterbender's icy blues. "You should've listened to that poor excuse of an anti-bending revolutionary when he told you to keep a special watch out for people with glazed over eyes," he remarked. "Then you would have noticed you had a spy right there in the midst of your mother's own home."

"Yeah, maybe I should've, but I'm taking it seriously now," He grabbed the collar of Unrak's shirt, staring at the man flintily. "Where did you leave my mother, huh? Where have you been keeping her?"

"Why should I tell that to a pathetic young man like you?" Unrak scoffed, smirking at him.

"She's my mother, damn it!" Tahno shouted angrily at him. "She's all I got left for family, and I'm not about to let a sorry excuse for a spirit like you let her get hurt at the hands of a bastard like Hiroshi."

"This all reminds me of a confrontation I once had with my own son a long time ago," Unrak said, the grin twisting his lips wickedly. "A broken down, sorry excuse for a young man confronting me about the whereabouts of his mother." He laughed derisively. "I won't divulge that information to you any more than I would have for Zuko in regards to his mother."

"_Damn it!"_ Tahno shouted aggravatingly. "Unrak—if you care even a little for my mother—you'll override this pathetic bastard whose possessing you and tell me what you know about where he's keeping her. If she means _anything_ to you—_please_ just kick him out and tell me!" He was half pleading, half demanding it. "For all I know, Sato might plan to do something to her, and _not_ telling me could lead to her getting killed. Do you want something like that on your conscience huh? Do you want my _mother's_ blood on _your hands_ for not being man enough to tell me _where she is?_"

Unrak's eyes closed as his head slumped forward. For a moment he was still, and then his eyes slowly opened again. A small voice emerged from his lips, words coming out hoarse and raspy. "I'll tell you where _he_ took Nani. I-I don't want anything to happen to—Nani." Unrak looked up at the ex-bender with tired eyes. Tired, but clear—and undoubtedly his own. Their turquoise color shone through purely, the person behind them evident. Off to the side, Tahno noticed an angered man with loose falling, long dark hair standing nearby, fiery amber eyes broiling as he stared hard at the ex-bender.

"You're already too late anyways," The man coldly warned him. "He already got to her." An instant later, the man vanished into thin air.

"I-if you untie me, I'll take you right to Nani," Unrak said, but the former waterbender wasn't paying attention to him anymore. Tahno stumbled, dazed, out of the room while Konlaq got to work releasing his brother's wrists and ankles from his restraints and helped him to his feet. Unalaq met up with him outside; it took the ex-bender a while to take notice of him standing there beside him.

"If I'm going to survive your lessons for the rest of the afternoon, I'm going to need to eat something first," Tahno said, suddenly feeling very weary. "Let's get back. I-I don't know how much energy I've got, and—I-I need something to eat."

Unalaq didn't question him, instead complying with the ex-bender's wish and heading back.

XoXoX

Asami awoke with a pounding migraine. Slowly she opened her eyes to slits, even the dark lighting of the mecha's inner cabin too intense for her to take in all at once. For a long while, an indeterminable amount of time really, she listened to her surroundings more than saw them, taking in the loud engine whirring, breathing from a few other sources, the pounding of her own heartbeat in her temple—

Abruptly and coming unannounced, she felt something cool and liquidy being applied to her forehead. At first she released a surprised gasp, but then settled her nerves down as the liquid force brought on a nice, cooling sensation.

Eventually Asami's headache seemed to have cleared and, with her eyes adjusted to the light finally, she opened them wide enough to take in her surroundings. Beside her knelt a woman with long, raven-dark hair and piercing light teal eyes. She wore a comforting smile filled with reassurance and warmth. At first Asami didn't recognize her, believing the woman to be just a figment of her imagination, until her mind reached clarity and she could decipher the woman's identity.

"Kanani—" Asami began to cough, her body shaking uncontrollably as she hacked, her arms and legs not giving her support as the action caused her to tumble sideways. She realized her limbs were still bound—and tightly so—explaining the lack of bodily support when her coughing tossed her off balance towards the floor of the small compartment.

A gentle grip brought her back into a sitting position, and she was staring into the woman's face again.

"You're Asami, I believe?" Kanani asked in a gentle tone. Asami nodded as best she could, taking that moment to look around. Hiroshi was fully occupied at the controls, and Shaozu was biding his time by staring into space. And Mako—

"There isn't much I've been able to do for him, I'm afraid," Kanani's gaze was drawn to the same source as Asami's, sadness flashing in her eyes. "After all he has done for my son, I wish there was something I could do for him, but my healing water doesn't seem to be very effective on his current condition."

"My so-called_ father_ stripped Mako of his bending," Asami noted with a hint of grief. "I think he's suffering from something that's more than just physical. I'm not sure what exactly it might be, but my _father _suggested that something called an_ energy transference _might be the cause."

"I think I remember my son mentioning something about an _energy transference_ when I asked him about a visitation he once had with that young man," Kanani said in a soft voice, looking over towards Mako as she said it. "My son asked me to leave him alone with that young man, Mako, at my home for an afternoon. Although he tried to deny it, I could hear the affection Tahno had for him in his voice whenever he talked about him. I can only say that they got intimate with one another while I was gone." She smiled very faintly before adding, "I...discovered the evidence when I was laundering sheets the next morning, and bothered to confront him about it. I guess I forced an admission out of him when I presented the sheets to him."

Shaozu seemed to perk up at just that moment, eyes incredulously wide. "Are you suggesting Tahno and him—" He glanced quickly in Mako's direction. "—might've gotten hot and heavy with one another?"

"I don't believe that it was purely just that, but yes—he _did_ admit to me that they got physical with one another," Kanani noted. "I think I remember him insisting that it was just a way to replenish some lost strength he was dealing with due to his spiritual abilities. At least...that's what he told me when he eventually admitted that something of that nature _had _occurred between them after I confronted him about it."

Asami looked over at Mako, a mixture of shock at learning that something more had happened between he and the ex-waterbender than either had ever let on—to her awareness anyways—and an abrupt understanding of her father's words in regards to Mako's condition. Asami turned her gaze from her former boyfriend quickly then to look in the ex-waterbender's mother's direction.

"No—I don't think it's just that," she said, looking directly into Kanani's eyes before saying, "I'm not sure what Mako's feelings are on the matter, but I know your son...that Tahno—cares a lot about Mako—that he loves him even, if I recall what I've learned correctly." Recalling a few awkward instances she'd witnessed between the two recently, she added, "From how I've seen those two interacting with each other lately, Mako and Tahno...I think, maybe...the feeling's mutual between them. But please—don't quote me on that."

"Tahno insisted that Mako was seeing the Avatar," Kanani's eyes were drawn in Mako's direction, staying there. "Are he and the Avatar on rocky grounds with each other?"

"I don't think so," Asami replied uncertainly. "But lately...I'm not so sure. Mako...you see—even though he's a good guy deep down, he...has a tendency to be indecisive when it comes to relationships. He and I—we were together for a time...at least—until he and Korra's feelings for each other got in the way. I know he didn't mean to hurt me when they both did that—he and Korra—but still..." She looked at Mako with anguish. "I think—Mako has a hard time dealing with personal relationships because of the fact that he...lost both of his parents fairly young. He had to grow up fast, and—that might've altered how he handles relationships. But—I could be wrong."

"So...Tahno likes that guy, huh?" Shaozu noted. "I guess I should've seen that he dug the guy as more than just a friend when he stopped by the apartment a few weeks back with him." He looked at Asami then, "If you're right about that guy and his relationships...I sure hope he doesn't end up hurting Tahno, cause he's already been hurt enough these last several months. I know Tahno's relationship record isn't exactly squeaky clean either, but...after all the beatings he's been put through by our pissed off ex-rivals, Ming's death, and everything else he's gone through lately...I don't care if Mako's lost his bending for good because of—" He glared at Hiroshi harshly, pausing a moment before adding, "—_Him_. If he does anything like that to my friend...I'll pound him for it."

"I just hope that he'll be okay in the end," Asami stated. She looked at Kanani, curious. "How long have you been here with us, and how—?"

"Unrak left me in a cave somewhere outside the Northern Water Tribe, and I was picked up from there a few hours ago I believe," Kanani replied. "Do you think you could tell me what all this is about? Why that strange man over there took me captive, and what he wants from me—how this involves my son if it does?"

Asami didn't know all the answers, but she did the best she could to tell Kanani what she knew.

"That_ man_ over there...is my father, Hiroshi Sato, and—as for what he's planning—"

XoXoX

The spiritual lesson reconvened at the Spirit Oasis shortly after lunch. The day was more than half over, and there was a lot they needed to get in. Chief Unalaq began the discussion, but neither Korra nor Tahno really had their full attention focused on it however, and the lesson that was supposed to be very informative to them—and useful for their plans in dealing with Hiroshi—ended up feeling disjointed.

At one point it was obvious to Chief Unalaq that both his _pupils_ were distracted, and decided it was time to rein in their complete and full attention. "I know you both have a lot on your minds, but it's imperative that I have your full concentration on this matter. Lives could be held in the balance on what we manage to discuss here—lives of your abducted friends, the ones you love, amongst many others."

He noticed that he got the full attention of the ex-bender and the Avatar drawn towards him, their eyes losing the clouded over appearance that had plagued their minds through most of the after lunch conversation up to that point. Once he was certain he got their full concentration, he went on, "Let's start with what you both know about Hiroshi's goals, and what exactly it is that drove the Spirit that's aiding him to that decision. Tell me—what do you know about that thus far?"

Tahno was the one to speak up after discarding his previous issues. "Hiroshi's pet spirit wants revenge for the damage to its territory. It's mad that Korra's predecessor turned its stomping grounds into Republic City, and has been seeking revenge for it a few times over the last seventy years or so. Yakone's crazy bloodbending skills were a result of a pact between he and the same spirit sometime back, and when that plan didn't go anywhere, the Spirit moved on to it's next candidate, Hiroshi—the mad former businessman who shared some of the same goals. Hiroshi wants to see a universal end to bending—and his spirit aide wants to end the Avatar. Sato's willing to go the distance to achieve his goals, and the Spirit's feeding off that enthusiasm."

"Didn't Hiroshi have plans to also resurrect his dead wife or something? Some kind of pact he has with the Spirit about bringing back Mrs. Sato?" Korra spoke up, looking directly at her uncle, trying—it seemed—to show as little acknowledgement of the ex-bender's existence as possible, Tahno noticed. "Is something like that even possible?"

"In most instances, it would be deemed near impossible, but with just the right influences, and help—there is a slight possibility it could be accomplished," Chief Unalaq said. "Long before specific bending practices were culturally established and put into practice and the Avatar came into being, energybending had a much stronger prevalence—with the Spirits being the most active practicers of the art."

He looked from the Avatar to the ex-bender. "It is said that some of the more ancient spirits learned the practice of life-bending itself—having control over the very forces that surround us in every aspect. It is a rare practice, and it is said that very few still-existing spirits have the knowledge or ability to practice it—to the point that it has transformed from being perceived as a real possibility towards only practical myth. But, one thing that has been proven from myth on occasion is that myth has a basis in reality, and there is a possibility—a chance—that Hiroshi discovered a spirit that manages to have obtained that very knowledge, and knows how to use it."

"If there's any chance that theory of yours is real—what would it take for Hiroshi and his _pet spirit_ to put that kind of practice to _good_ use?" Tahno inquired.

"This is an area I don't have much knowledge on, as it _is_ something nearly lost to history, but—from what I _do _know...besides the spirit having to have the capability to do so—they also need something material from both realms in their possession in order to accomplish their goal," Chief Unalaq explained. "And it can't be just any particular pieces of material—they have to be specific in order for it to work. What that might be, however...I haven't the knowledge to know for certain."

"How's Asami tied into this? What use could Hiroshi have for her?" Korra inquired.

"You said it was Hiroshi's wife he wants to resurrect, correct?" Unalaq looked to Korra. She nodded.

"Far as I know, that's what Hiroshi's planning to do," Korra responded.

"It's possible he needs some semblance of his wife's likeness in order to achieve success in her resurrection, and his daughter, Asami, has a part of her mother in her," Unalaq replied. Korra's eyes widened while Tahno swore under his breath.

"Damn—I should've remembered the fact that Asami's mom mentioned that fact to me while I was in that coma," Tahno bitterly commented.

"We're gonna have to make a point of getting Asami out of his grasp as much as Mako then—if not more so," Korra noted.

"What kind of consequences could a maneuver like that have if it was set into motion? Could something like that—if it was successfully done—throw everything off-balance? Or would the consequences, if there are any, be nothing more than just a slap on the wrist?" Tahno asked the Chief.

"Hiroshi's plans could very well disrupt the fabric of life itself," Unalaq stated. "If the results could be damaging to that extent, I'm uncertain, but it is a likely possibility and can't be ruled out." He turned his attention from the ex-bender specifically towards Korra. "I think it's important that you come up with a way to convince Hiroshi's spirit helper that Hiroshi's plan is not to it's best interests—or for the two realms for that matter. As the Avatar, it is your job to find solutions to conflicts between spiritual matters and those of this tangible world we live in. Finding the right solution is especially imperative, as it is your friends' lives that are at stake if you can't manage to come up with a feasible plan that works in time."

"I know, I know—the responsibility lies completely on _my shoulders_!" Korra exclaimed exasperatedly. "What Koh wants from me—_and _what _I_ have to do to save Asami, _and _Tahno's friend, _and_ the world—_and _returning _his_ bending—" She acknowledged Tahno for the first time since they reconvened the lesson, if only for an instant. "—_and _Mako...it's a lot for me to digest, okay?" She sighed, hastily getting to her feet and then quickly stormed off. The chief and the ex-waterbender watched her depart without calling out for the Avatar to return.

After the Spirit Oasis fell into the splendor of its semblance of peaceful silence, Chief Unalaq got to his feet. He looked down at the ex-bender then. "Why don't you take the rest of the day to build up your strength? I will continue the rest of this with Korra alone, since it appears she's having trouble concentrating on the matter at hand in your presence. And—it's apparent, from what Tenzin informed me—that you also have an important role in this as well."

"Yeah...Hiroshi's expecting me to be here—or he's going to resort to using my friend Shaozu for his plans," Tahno told him.

"Why don't you take some time relaxing here?" Unalaq suggested. "It's peaceful, and you might learn some things from Tui and La while you're out here."

"You're not going to bring Korra back here?" Tahno asked him.

"I think it might be best if I talk further with her in a place where there isn't as much spiritual prevalence," Unalaq stated. "Enjoy the peace and quiet—and try to gain some strength if you're able to." With that the chief departed, leaving the former waterbender alone with the pair of koi fish swimming in the pond a short distance from his feet.

XoXoX

When their lesson reconvened right after lunch, Eska had quietly slipped into the same vantage point she'd taken to watch from as before. Like before, her presence went completely unacknowledged, and went on without interruption.

Their discussion started off a little slow, with both her cousin and the former waterbender apparently distracted by something else—inner mental conflict, Eska could only guess. When he noticed that he had lost the two's attention, her father reined them in and got back down to business.

They talked for a while, with Eska listening ever intently to every word. After it had been going on for a little while, Korra suddenly got animatedly frustrated, getting to her feet in an angry display and storming out of the premises. Korra didn't pay Eska any mind as she passed by her cousin, and Eska didn't try to stop her. After Korra's departure, she turned her attention back towards her father and the young man still there by Tui and La's pond side. Her father got to his feet while the former waterbender remained sitting there. They exchanged words before her father turned to leave.

As Unalaq made it over the bridge and was about to chase Korra down wherever her cousin had run off to, Eska stopped him. Her father looked startled to notice her there, but quickly recovered. Eska figured her father's nerves were rattled by Korra's reaction earlier, hence his reaction to her presence.

"If you don't mind Tahno's presence out here, you can go about your usual afternoon rituals with the spirits if you like," Unalaq told her. "I have to go speak with Korra about something in the meantime." He turned to depart when she reached for his arm, causing him to halt.

"Father, why don't you let me be the one to talk to Korra?" Eska said to him. "She admires you greatly, but I think she'd be more comfortable right now if I was the one to confront her about whatever's bugging her."

Her father suddenly appeared to be relieved of a heavy burden, smiling at his daughter gratefully. "You might be right," he said to her. "And you are knowledgeable about the spiritual matters that are a priority for Korra to learn about at this moment." He continued to speak in a vocal exchange between that of a father to his daughter. "Plus, what she might need most right now is someone to talk to about more personal issues I would be no help with. I believe a lot of her troubles stem from there, if my observations are correct." He looked back at the former waterbender, who was taking up a meditative position by Tui and La's pond. He looked back at Eska before adding, "I will leave you to that. Let me know how it goes with Korra, and if she needs any help from me. I'll be around."

He then left his daughter to watch the former waterbender as he began to meditate. She stood there a moment, eyes transfixed on his peaceful face with his eyes closed, half obscured by his long forward-falling lock of hair. Eska then remembered her promise to her father, and went in search of Korra.


	26. Chapter 26

The path between the Spirit Oasis and her room became a warpath to anyone unfortunate enough to cross Korra on her hasty trek between the two. Many attendants of the palace hastily stepped out of her way as she pressed forward, several of whose eyes were on her as she passed from sight. Upon reaching the sanctity of her room, Korra slammed the door behind her, a loud _thud_ resonating through the nearby hallways. She plunked down on her bed and rolled onto her side, desperate to release her mind from her troubles. Although she fought to hold them in, she felt hot liquid trails forming mini rivers across her face and wetting her pillow.

She buried her face in her pillow and sobbed a little while before she heard a soft knock at her door. She ceased, listening without bothering to answer it. For all she knew, somebody could've accidently bumped against the door as they were passing through. But then it came again, soft but deliberate.

"Korra, it's Eska. Can I come in?" her cousin's voice confirmed an actual presence. Korra mopped up her tears quickly and rushed for the door. Eska was waiting there, looking as calm as she always did. Not much seemed to disturb her cousin, but when it got to that point...she knew to watch out. Eska, when truly angered, was like a woman possessed—flaring up in an almost demonic display. But that wasn't currently on Korra's mind; she was more curious as to why her cousin was paying her a visit just then.

"I told my father that I would talk to you." Oh—that's what Eska was there for. Korra made a face at that. "Can I come in?"

"Look, Eska—I'm not sure what Uncle told you—" Korra began to say.

But Eska interrupted her. "I witnessed everything." She wore the same nondescript expression she always wore, but Korra could see the concern welling in her cousin's eyes. "I want to help you get it all sorted out—and maybe talk about some other things as well, like...what my father was trying to talk to you about." Eska had something to her presence that made it hard to refuse her, and Korra was no exception. She sighed deeply and showed her cousin in quickly. Eska agreeably followed her in without a word.

"Korra, I know you're frustrated—being the Avatar must be really frustrating along with all the other teenage responsibilities," Eska said after Korra closed the door. "But—some things...well—they need to be addressed, regardless of how frustrating they can be. They only get more frustrating the longer you angrily hold onto them. And then when can you get anything done when you keep holding onto your frustrations?"

Leave it to Eska to get right to the point in just the right way. Korra stretched out on her bed as her cousin silently stood by the bedside. She stared up at the ceiling, mind mired in all her troubles. At first Korra held back from saying a thing, and then it all just flooded out.

Korra told her cousin about everything she felt guilty about—how she should have listened to Mako's warning about the spirit's demands that she meet it in the Spirit World being a trap; the fact that she deliberately held back from restoring the Wolfbats bending because Mako had advised her to; how she abused the use of her Avatar responsibilities for petty reasons and cheating.

She then let spill how she felt that—if she'd heeded the warnings when she should have, if she'd restored Tahno's bending back in the beginning, that the situation would have turned out different, and maybe—_maybe_ Mako, Asami, and Shaozu wouldn't be in dire trouble like they were now, that Hiroshi might not even have had the pieces to the puzzle that he needed to pull off his plan from the beginning.

She went further and described her visit with Koh—how the Face Stealer mentioned Princess Yue's sacrifice to become the Moon Spirit, Tahno's struggles over the past several months, how Mako set the ex-bender on his current course when he rescued him from his suicide attempt. She then told Eska about how she couldn't help Mako out with his bending, and that something he and Tahno had done had created an anomaly for him that she couldn't interfere with.

She also mentioned to Eska how the Face Stealer told her that Hiroshi's debending procedure would become permanent for his victims if his plan were successful. Eska detected the emotional distress in her cousin's tone more so on mentioning that detail than most others she already had thus far. Korra then told her about the last bit of information Koh told her before he left—how it was crucial that she get Asami out of her father's clutches for the sake of both realms, and how she later learned from her discussion with Uncle Unalaq that he meant the resurrection of Asami's mother that Hiroshi was intent on doing.

Eska listened, expression contemplative, as her cousin spilled out her personal worries and guilt. When Korra finished, her cousin remained quiet, as if to think over everything she had heard long and hard. Finally, after a somewhat discomforting silence settled in, Eska spoke.

"I was there when that Spirit attacked the festival and made those demands. I understand your feelings, and how you wish you had listened to Mako about it being a trap, but Korra—" Eska looked at her cousin with a serious expression. "—I think it was a trap either way. If you had chosen to ignore the claims and done what Mako suggested, I get the feeling the Spirit would've retaliated and done what it claimed it would do. Either way—it was a lose-lose situation for you, and it's probably better you chose the route you did."

"Concerning Tahno and his teammates and their bending—" Eska went on. "Korra—it could've changed the outcome of how things played out, but—then again—it might not have. Things happen a certain way for a reason, and who's to say the situation wouldn't have been worse for you, Mako, Asami, the Wolfbats—if you had returned their bending to them from the onset? Hiroshi was dead-set on carrying out his plans along with his spirit aide, and I have a feeling that Hiroshi targeted that trio from the beginning—regardless if they got their bending back or not. Before the Amon incident—they stood for everything Hiroshi hated about benders, after all."

"I see your point," Korra responded.

Eska thought over what else her cousin had stated before continuing. "I'll get back to those other issues involving Tahno later, because I feel like there's something more troubling going on between you two and Mako than what I can see on the surface." She paused a moment. "About Asami—did you manage to repair things between you two after that fiasco involving Mako?"

"I think so," Korra replied. "I hope so. I—helped her get Future Industries back on its feet after Hiroshi's rep almost sunk it. I used my position as the Avatar to convince people to put stock in her company—that Asami was completely trustworthy and unlike her father in every way outside of being smart and business-savvy. I helped her make the deal with the United Forces regarding the biplanes—Asami's updated versions to Hiroshi's original designs."

She sat up, looking at her cousin. "I have a lot of respect for Asami, and really admire her; she's strong-willed, independent, brave, adventurous, and self-confident. When her father turned out to be a traitor, she never once turned against us to join him. She stuck with us, even when Mako and I hurt her like we did. She's also kind and compassionate—something that made me feel guilty for hurting her with our relationship issues over Mako after the fact." She felt her lips curl very slightly into a smile. "She is also beautiful without coming off as seeming snooty in the process. I kinda—envy her for that." She didn't know why, but her face felt warm just then. But only for an instant, as her thoughts about Asami's current position—her father's plans for her—instilled her with immense bleakness.

"I need to get her away from Sato as much as I need to get Mako away from him. Hiroshi wants to use his _own daughter_ to bring back his dead wife, and I'd never be able to accept it if something were to happen to her—if he managed to pull his plans for Asami off."

"Yes—I overheard what my father said about life-bending and the possibility of Sato using his daughter for that purpose because of the fact that she's got her mother's essence in her," Eska stated. Korra's eyes were drawn towards her cousin at the gravity of her cousin's grim tone, watching her as she continued to speak. "Korra, do you know much about life energy—chi—and the history of the role of the Avatar in maintaining the balance over the manipulation of the elements and relations between this realm and the Spirit World?"

"I know what Aang told me, and that isn't much, and what I've learned lately through experience," Korra replied. "I think Uncle was just getting to discussing that stuff before I bolted off."

"Well, Korra—to understand what you need to in order to handle the situation involving Hiroshi and his spirit aide, it might help you to know this stuff. It's an important piece of history for the Avatar to know," Eska informed her. "Energybending, life-bending—they were all things that were more prevalent chi manipulation practices before those energies were settled amongst the four specific elements. They say the first Avatar was a very strong and respected energybender—the first human capable of such feats who also held favor with the spirits and the Spiritual Realm. The Spirits—when humans were first learning about chi energy flows and how they could manipulate them, how they could use that chi manipulation to manipulate specific elements—were a bit hesitant to trust humans with such a capability. Some of them even believed it might be dangerous for humans to have access to that knowledge."

"The spirits had to be certain that humans didn't choose to abuse this acquired knowledge to the point of disrupting the very essence of life itself, so they convened to find a solution that would work for them." Eska went on, "What they eventually settled on was the creation of the Avatar, and the person they chose to be the first representative of both the Spiritual Realm and the physical realm—the bridge between humans and spirits—was somebody all the spirits involved agreed was fit for the position."

"You see—the life energy flow known as chi is a very fragile thing that can easily be set off balance, can easily lead to disruption in the world as we know it." Eska, up to that point, had been vacantly staring out into space, recounting the details she had learned as a child under her father's tutelage. Her gaze lost its vacant air as her eyes met up with Korra's.

"That's why it's important that every Avatar understands this balance and works to keep it. Everything in life is connected: from the material things we see everyday—the solid earth, water, plants, animals, people, everyday objects—to the insubstantial stuff we can't see, or even realize is there—spirits, the souls of the departed, the air we breathe, the very essence that binds it all together—down to our very own lives, our actions—the rewards or consequences those actions create. Even through the cycles of life and death—it's all connected."

Eska held her cousin's gaze transfixed with hers as if there was a magnetic pull drawing Korra in. "Nothing in life is mere coincidence or chance. Everything that happens is set off from the actions or interactions of something else, passing down through time and space in a sequence of events that are forever intertwined."

Korra took a moment to let that all absorb, releasing a heavy breath. Up to that point, she hadn't realized she'd been holding it. "This sounds reminiscent of some of the things Koh was telling me about, as well as some other things." She rested her head in her hands sighing glumly. "Speaking of the Face Stealer, Eska—I think, in order for me to be able to handle my Avatar responsibilities without messing it up when Hiroshi shows his ugly face, I need to clear the air about a few things that have been bugging me lately."

Eska stood there, expression calm. "Tell me what's been bothering you lately, Korra."

XoXoX

After Korra bolted and Chief Unalaq let him be, Tahno took to meditating to clear his mind. Troubled by the fact that he _knew_ his mother was also now in danger from his encounter with her husband earlier along with Mako, Asami, and Shaozu—he attempted to suppress his worries to the back of his mind and spent the next hour or so exercising the same breathing and concentrating technique Tenzin had taught him.

When he opened his eyes again and took in the sights of the Spirit Oasis, his eyes transfixed on Tui and La as they circled each other in their watery abode nearby. Dinnertime was forthcoming, he realized, when he looked towards the sky and noticed twilight was fast approaching. He wasn't hungry just yet; lunch had been very filling, and his worries suppressed most of his hunger.

He enjoyed sitting there in silence all by himself, thinking about Ming's claim that he couldn't bear a minute alone, and feeling rather proud that he could prove his deceased boyfriend wrong.

Thinking about Ming—it brought on a wistful feeling for the ex-bender, a sense of melancholy that was almost overwhelming. He was going to deeply miss Ming, and after tomorrow—he knew he would no longer be able to make a connection with the friend he'd known most of his life—the person who had been closer to him than almost anyone else. The person who had helped him get through some hard times, been there when he needed him, when he just needed somebody to goof off with, somebody whom he could shed the façade around when the fans weren't present—

And then his thoughts were brought to Mako—the other person outside his mother that he'd grown close to in a connection that went beyond friendship. Mako, his current state...he had to wonder what was wrong—_if _something was wrong—with the firebender, and hoped that his dreams weren't some kind of death omen—

Thinking about those dreams—he was embarrassed to admit it even to himself, but he couldn't help longing for Mako's touch just one more time. He knew it was stupid even to think it—and he knew it was an impossible request for him to make—but he couldn't help thinking it. He'd opened himself up to the firebender more than he liked, and Mako had done the same in return.

Mako had also released him from one burden he always thought he'd be faced with. His fear of getting close to anybody else as a result of the assault dealt to him by a dark spirit in the guise of a livid ex-rival; that was also a fact he never would've learned about if Mako hadn't helped him heal from the incident. He hated to admit it (yet felt relieved to at the same time) but Mako had changed him, made him want to change _himself_.

Damn, how he craved for the taste of Mako's lips just once more, but...most of all...he just hoped his dreams were wrong. He wanted Mako to be all right. To be...whole again, bending and all—

Now he was starting to have second thoughts about being happy that he was alone. Each passing moment panged in it's unrelenting silence—every minute sound that usually tended to go unnoticed now loud and resonating. If something Hiroshi had done was debilitating Mako's health—killing him even—he'd take the old bastard out with his own hands.

"Damn it, Mako—I hope you're not dying because of something that bastard did to you—or because of something _I _might've done..." He murmured, staring into the koi pond. "Damn it, how'd I end up—"

"_I regret to have to inform you that something you did indeed put him in danger."_

Tahno almost lost his balance and fell face-first into the koi pond right in front of him. After he was certain his balance was once again stabilized his eyes darted around for the source to his disturbance, almost taken aback by the apparition hovering over Tui and La's abode.

She was just like she had always been before, ethereally beautiful in her traditional royal garb, her lovely ivory locks done in the traditional style of a tribal princess. There was something added to the aura about her, a sense of being homebound—of being closest to her element of comfort. Tahno stared at her, mouth agape, eyebrows arched upwards in utter mystification. His eyes were transfixed on the lovely Moon Spirit, words lost to him to formulate a response.

"Princess Y-Yue..." Tahno faltered as he fought for self-composure. "I wasn't expecting you." After he calmed, he continued more steadily. "In danger? Do you mean Mako? Are you suggesting there's something valid to the feeling I get from these dreams I've been having lately?"

"_Unfortunately, yes_."

"What's wrong with him?" Tahno exclaimed, startled. A second thought occurred to him. "D-did you say that something_ I _did endangered _Mako?_"

"_Something you and he chose to do together has altered his chi, and Hiroshi's procedure that stripped him of his firebending has linked his energies with yours,"_ Yue responded with tragic eyes. "_The link has thus bonded your destinies, and his health has been slowly deteriorating since his bending was stripped from him. Also, as a result of the link between your two chi flows, it has caused a fluctuation to your own chi flow. Have you noticed that you have been more excessively weak recently—since reawaking from your coma?"_

"Yeah, I've noticed—but I thought it was just because the Solstice has been drawing nearer," Tahno replied. "Mako's chi has linked with mine—how'd that happen?"

"Your energies linked up with the firebender's when you two had sex with one another back in the Southern Water Tribe."

In the first instant the ex-bender felt his face grow extremely warm at the mention of that intimate interaction between he and Mako, until it clicked in his mind that the voice which spoke it was too masculine to be Yue's. The realization sent Tahno's gaze darting around frenetically in search of a possible source, eventually settling down on the presence of a _nightmare._

"Have you ever wondered why I didn't criticize either you or the firebender for your activities that day on my second visit with you?" Noatak moved away from the shaded growth across the way to sit near the pond's edge a short distance from where the former waterbender currently was. Tahno watched _Amon_'s movements with a serious gaze that was surprisingly devoid of its usual apprehension or sense of antagonism towards the man he once deemed a nightmare.

For a time Tahno just watched him without saying a word, registering Noatak's presence first before he found his voice to speak. "Didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Tarrlok and I have been making every effort we can to redeem our souls for our ill deeds while we were alive by helping put a stop to Hiroshi's plot any way we can," Noatak replied, sitting near the edge of the koi pond a short distance from the ex-bender. He looked at the former waterbender with serious azure eyes. "Tarrlok right now is trying to convince our father, Yakone, that it would be an ill decision for him to continue backing Hiroshi in his efforts to eliminate bending and resurrect his wife. My brother was having a difficult time with him last time I checked in, but I think he's making some progress."

"Yakone," Tahno scoffed at the name. "I don't like what you did to me in the arena several months back, but I've accepted the consequences and moved on from it. But what that _man_ you call father did to me—I can't ever forgive him for what he did." He let the anger welling within seep out, letting his stiffened shoulders relax. His tone was more resigned when he continued. "I used to blame _you_ in part for the assault that happened to me, but after everything I've learned recently...I don't blame you for it anymore, and—I'm not angry at you anymore either."

Noatak smiled faintly in response, something in his eyes still grave. "My father was a harsh man to live under. Using both my brother and I to try and fulfill his act of revenge against the Avatar for stripping his bending from him...I can fully understand your resentments towards him. It's because of him I turned out the way I did—chose the path I went down as _Amon_."

"I guess that's something we kind of have in common," Tahno replied, looking at his former enemy without enmity. "Although I managed to make amends with my father in the end."

"That's good." Noatak actually smiled wholly at that, from the curve to his lips leading up to the azure of his previously grim eyes.

"What you were saying when you first got here," Tahno said. "You're saying that me getting physical with Mako has ended up putting him in danger—t-that my choosing to accept that request was a mistake on my part that could cost Mako his life?"

"The decision you both chose to make that day has put the firebender's life in danger, yes—but in itself your having sex with him isn't the sole cause of his current condition; it was actually necessary for you," Noatak informed him. "I wasn't completely informed of all the details at the time I gave you the information. The Moon Spirit later informed me that—in order for you to successfully achieve that _energy transference_ that kept your chi rooted here when you went to retrieve Avatar Korra's spirit form during your first trip to the Spirit World—you needed to make that very personal connection at a moment when both of your energy flows were heightened, which they would be during that kind of intimate physical exchange. If you'd chosen to reject that offer and not go through with it—you would've become permanently stuck in the Spirit World during your first trip there."

Noatak's eyes wandered in the direction of the still present Moon Spirit, something nostalgic in his gaze as he watched her hovering ethereally above the pool's surface. "Yue had intended to inform you of the condition when she first spoke to you about your Spirit World trip back in Republic City, but you were quickly interrupted by the invasion in Hiroshi's former workshop below the Sato Estate. When she was unable to inform you of the details, she instructed me to handle the task for her. Little did either of us know at the time that your grudge towards me would make it so difficult to gain your cooperation."

"Yeah, I know—I was still angry back then," Tahno stated. "You said it was necessary, and that it wasn't the sex that put Mako's life on the line. Um...if that's true—what changed so that it's killing him now, and is there anything I can do to fix that—is it even reversible?"

"As Princess Yue was telling you earlier—it was Hiroshi's procedure that altered the firebender's chi in such a way that has led to his chi energy's current deterioration," Noatak told him. "My reason for confronting you at this time was to inform you of the firebender's condition—and what you need to do to reverse the effects."

XoXoX

Kanani's amiable demeanor waned to almost an ember of a spark by the time Asami was finished telling her about what she knew of her father's plans. The gravity of her words weighed heavily on Kanani's face at hearing she was there as leverage for her son's cooperation.

"I can only hope that my son and the Avatar have a plan to deal with him," Kanani said, Asami looked her way grimly and nodded.

"Kanani...can I ask you something?" Asami said.

Kanani nodded. "Yes, of course."

"How did you react when you first found out that your son...was romantically interested in other guys?" Asami asked her.

Kanani looked thoughtful for a moment. "It was strange at first; the concept hadn't occurred to me before I found out. We were awkward with each other for a bit after the fact. But, unlike his father—I only wanted for him to be happy. He's my son, and when he's happy—I'm happy."

Asami asked hesitantly, "Can I confess something to you? And can you promise you won't mention this to anyone...especially the Avatar?"

Kanani nodded. "Yes."

Asami took a moment to compose her thoughts. "I'm hoping, for your son's sake...that things end up working out between Tahno and Mako. That...Korra ends up breaking it off with Mako in the end."

Kanani looked a little surprise. "Why would you want that?"

"It's not because of the fact that those two hurt me—that I'd want things to fail apart between them because of that," Asami stated, feeling suddenly sheepish. "I _like_ Korra _a lot_, and—if there's even a chance she might notice me in that kind of way back—if that's even possible...it would only be once she and Mako have a falling out with one another. That's why...I hope things work out between Tahno and Mako."

Shaozu spoke up, "Wouldn't have suspected someone as pretty as you to dig other chicks."

"Did you ever find it weird that you teammate likes both?" Asami questioned him.

Shaozu shrugged. "Yeah, it was weird at first—but I got used to it after he and Ming hooked up."

"Ming—"

"The earthbender on our team," Shaozu told Asami. "He and Tahno had something going on between them during our last probending season. That's why he took Ming's death so hard—they were really close."

"Well, me and Tahno are alike in that way—I like both guys _and _girls, and I just so happen to have developed something for Korra as I've gotten to know her better over the past several months." Asami told the ex-firebender.

"I should have known that the _street rat_ wasn't the only one who corrupted you—that the _Avatar_ did as well."

Hiroshi's enraged voice brusquely brought their chat to an end. Asami's eyes went wide, realizing that he had been listening in on their conversation the whole time.

"The _street rat_, the Avatar—the whole probending establishment. If only I had been more strict with what you took interest in, you wouldn't have turned out like you did," Hiroshi's steely gaze was on his daughter. "But—no matter. If I had restricted your interests, you would have rebelled against me much sooner, and I wouldn't have had your loyalty for as long as I did."

He turned his attention back to the controls in front of him, tense stillness settling in as he worked a few controls before everything fell deathly silent. The interior lighting dimmed, casting Hiroshi's form into only silhouetted shades. Asami saw movement coming from his direction, but couldn't determine his actions exactly. It wasn't until his gloved hand was shoved in her face and harsh words were uttered from his lips did she realize his plan of action.

"Sleep well, _daughter;_ hopefully the next time you awake—you no longer will be just a burden to me." Asami heard her scream echo through the cabin of the mecha before everything went black.

XoXoX

Korra didn't say anything for a pause, gathering her thoughts it seemed. After sitting there, staring into space a long while, she took in a deep breath, and—directing her ocean shallows in her cousin's direction—"You said we'd get around to discussing my pretty boy issues later. Well—I want to bring them up now."

"Pretty boy—you keep referring to Tahno that way. Is there a reason behind that?" Eska asked her.

"I-I think it's because I'm troubled by my current situation involving him. I get all mentally frustrated anytime I call him by his real name that I guess—I just call him that to take off some of that pressure," Korra replied. She took another deep breath, staring across the room before speaking again. "Eska—you recall all the details I told you about the relationship issues between me, Asami and Mako?"

Eska nodded. "How your growing feelings for Mako, and his in return, damaged his relationship with Asami?"

"Yeah," Korra replied. "Eska...I feel like that pattern is being repeated all over again—but...this time it's not between Asami and me, it's...between me and pretty boy—I mean, Tahno."

"Tahno?" Eska looked at her cousin incredulously. "Are you saying that he developed_ romantic feelings_ for Mako, and vice versa?"

"Yeah, I know it's a hard thing to mentally digest if you're not used to the concept, but it's true. While I was trapped in the Spirit World after Hiroshi's spirit lured me there, Mako rescued pretty boy from a suicide attempt, and...I guess their feelings for each other grew from there," Korra replied, sighing. She turned her gaze towards her cousin, a particular humored glint in her eyes. "I noticed you've been curiously observing him since we got here. If you're interested in him, go ahead and distract him. You'd be doing me a favor."

"I-I'm not interested in him in that way!" Eska protested, becoming more flustered than she usually let herself show. "I find him fascinating—but only because his spiritual abilities give him this mystical aura. B-but I'm _not_ interested in him! I kind of have a thing for Mako's younger brother, that sweet earthbender you introduced me to during the festival we went to for your birthday!"

"Bo?" Korra looked at her, surprised. "I didn't know you had a crush on Bolin."

"He was very nice to me when we met," Eska responded, still acting flustered. "Funny too, and he loves animals. I like that."

"When Bo gets here and everything's settled down—approach him. I'm sure he'd be flattered," Korra told her cousin.

"Beside—if Mako's his type, why would Tahno even look my way anyways?" Eska asked.

"Pretty boy insists he's also into girls, and not just guys. That's why I bothered to bring it up," Korra explained. Her cousin only awkwardly nodded.

After a long silent pause, Eska spoke up. "Is Tahno going to try and pursue Mako—is that's what's bugging you about this whole thing, Korra?"

"Pretty boy insists he's not going to pursue anything—that he'll settle with just remaining friends with Mako," Korra told her. "And it's not that that's bugging me about the whole situation. It's a mix of many other things. Like the fact that I didn't restore his bending when I should've; I didn't even bother to tell him that I could do that for him—and now his survival relies on me restoring it."

"I think that's something you should talk to him about," Eska told her. "It would help to get the guilt over that settled at least."

"Probably," Korra replied. "It's also about something that Koh said about those two, and these weird dreams pretty boy's been having lately about Mako."

"Like what?" Eska asked her.

"Koh insists that they've_ linked energies_—or something like that—and somehow whatever they did that caused that has altered Mako in some way that only pretty boy can fix." Korra looked down towards her hands, watching her fingers anxiously twitch. "And about pretty boy's dreams—I tried to discredit them when he told me about them, but...what he said—it's got me worried. I don't know if there's anything valid to the feeling he gets from them, but—if there is...I don't like it."

"Why? What're they about, and what about them is bugging both he and you?" Eska asked her.

Korra cringed inwardly, knowing it would be hard to even _suggest_ what the ex-bender's dreams were about to her cousin, let alone tell her about them flat out—especially after how awkwardly Eska reacted to the situation involving the ex-bender and her boyfriend in the first place. She decided not to bother mentioning their _erotic _nature, and keep their description vague in detail. "Pretty boy says that these dreams he keeps having—dreams that are about Mako—feel like bad omens to him. He thinks they might be a sign of there being something wrong with him, that Mako might even be...dying."

Eska's eyes went horribly wide. At first Korra thought it was the suggestion of death that was getting to her cousin, at least—until Eska spoke. "Korra...m-my father promised Tenzin he wouldn't breathe a word of this to..." Eska paused, her powder blue eyes meeting up with her cousin's ocean shallows. "I overheard some reports my father has been keeping with Tenzin. Tenzin's sister, Kya, along with Bolin and General Iroh, have been tracking Hiroshi's movements over the past few days, a-and she's been making periodical reports about their progress, a-and..." Her eyes widened almost pleadingly. "...I overheard Tenzin report to my father that it looks like Mako's condition has been considerably deteriorating since they were captured."

"So...pretty boy's feeling about his dreams was correct," Korra stated, a knot forming in her stomach, twisting painfully as she felt anxiety churning within. "Mako could really be dying."

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this way," Eska stated apologetically. Korra hardly paid attention to her.

"How could he even know that?" Korra questioned, mostly to herself. "How could pretty boy know how bad Mako's condition has gotten?"

"Maybe it has something to do with what Koh told you, that—when their energies, their chi became linked up—they somehow formed a _psychic_ _link_ between one another," Eska suggested. "That maybe...Mako is subconsciously projecting his condition out to Tahno in his dreams through a connection the two have made with one another. It goes with what I was telling you earlier—how everything in our world is connected in some way. I've heard that a person with a strong personal connection with another individual is more sensitive to when the other's in trouble—even over long distances."

Korra felt herself sinking further into her anxiety. "If that's the reason, the cause—how does that explain why _I _haven't sensed it at all?"

"I couldn't tell you Korra. I'm not the most knowledgeable on these things," Eska said with a shrug. "All I can suggest is that they might have formed a connection that goes beyond what you and Mako have between you both. Maybe it has something to do with Tahno's chi depletion; he needed to find a way to combat it, and something Mako did helped him out with it, it connected them, and it also left Mako's chi unbalanced in the process."

Korra was starting to feel suspicious of something—of what exactly she wasn't certain, but she didn't bother to bring it up with Eska. Instead, she nodded wearily in response to her cousin's suggestion and reclined back on her bed again.

"Well...I guess if that's the case—if Mako's life depends on pretty boy's for survival...I'll just have to...make sure I restore his bending before it's too late because—they'll probably both be counting on me for that."

Korra forgot about her cousin's presence for a while, contemplating over everything they discussed since Eska got there—her situation with the ex-waterbender and the situation involving Hiroshi Sato and the Spirit aiding him in his quest. She tried to quell her conflicted thoughts over the ex-bender to give the Hiroshi situation more precedence, finding herself coming to a conclusion on something she needed to investigate further in regards to that.

"I think I'm going to have a chat with my predecessor on the creation of Republic City—see if there's anything in the city's history that he might be able to provide that could give me a solution to that Hiroshi/Spirit problem," Korra sat up after a long pause, her cousin's eyes drawn towards her. She turned to look Eska's way. "All this talk about chi and how everything is connected has got me thinking about how maybe the solution to the problem is somewhere in it's origins."

Eska looked at her agreeably. "That makes perfect sense."

"Do you think you could—" Korra began to say to her cousin when she heard a knock at the door—a loud, resonating sound. Both girls looked at each other a moment in alarm. "Yeah—who's there?" Korra eventually called out.

"It's Desna," a voice called back. "Is Eska in there? Our father wants to see her about something."

"What about?" Eska answered her twin.

"Dad didn't say, he just told me you would know when I came looking for you," Desna answered back.

Eska had a knowing look flash in her eyes. "I think I have an idea," she replied. "Korra, I'm going to go check in with father. I'll leave you to your discussion with Avatar Aang." She smiled faintly at her cousin before she made her departure. Korra watched the door close behind her before she set in to attempt a connection with her predecessor.


	27. Chapter 27

"My reason for confronting you at this time was to inform you of the firebender's condition—and what you need to do to reverse the effects."

Tahno opened his mouth, about to speak, when he heard rustling from somewhere in the growing shades. Startled, he shut his mouth, looking around frantically for a culprit. He saw something slipping into the shadows, but could not make an identification of who it was or _what._ He trained his eyes further on the target, but whatever it was had moved on.

"Hey—did you see something moving over there, or hear it?" Tahno inquired of the former Equalist leader. Noatak looked his way with an unreadable gaze.

Noatak looked in the direction the sound originated from earlier, investigating the claim for himself. "I heard something," he replied, "But whatever it was, it was out of my perception."

"Do you think it's anything to worry about?" Tahno asked.

Noatak shrugged. "It could be, but it might also have been nothing. The only thing I would suggest is to keep a careful watch out for whatever it was. It might pop up again, and then its identity can be determined."

Tahno looked uncertainly in the direction he heard the rustling originate, something about it getting to him, but he too shrugged it off to the back of his mind and got back to what he was doing previous to the interruption.

"What do I need to do then?" Tahno asked the former Equalist leader.

"Your first priority will be to have Avatar Korra restore your bending," Noatak informed him. "You won't be able to do anything without it, and without it...you'll surely perish, along with the firebender."

"What else?" Tahno asked.

"When you were able to waterbend, did you ever learn to use it for healing?" Noatak asked him. The ex-bender looked at him, uncertain and a little guilty.

"My mother _tried_ to teach me, but I was more interested in the physical side of my bending. Healing wouldn't have helped much in the arena against my competition," Tahno admitted. "Korra's waterbending sifu's daughter, Kya, gave me some instructions on how to do it back in Republic City, but I don't know if I'll be able take what she said and actually apply it for real."

"In order to restore what you borrowed from him, you're going to need to learn how to use it for healing," Noatak told him. He dipped one hand into the pool, his fingers slipping under the water tension with supernatural insubstantiality. "You'll need water from this pool specifically to enhance your abilities. The water from Tui and La's pond has special properties to it—healing properties, from what I know."

"Yeah—I recall you telling me about the special properties of this water when we spoke while I was in that coma," Tahno also reached his hand into the water, feeling the cool placidity of it incasing his fingertips.

"If you were ever wondering why the firebender was so persistent to get intimate with you in the first place—it was because I had to implant the notion into his mind in order for you to have that exchange before it was too late," Noatak said. The ex-waterbender looked up at him oddly.

"Are...you saying that he didn't really want it for himself the whole time?" Tahno questioned him. "That it was just a mental impression, and that it didn't mean what he claimed it did?"

"That firebender—Mako—had already been pondering over the concept for a little while beforehand, I just had to give him a mental nudge to actually go through with it." Noatak responded. "Time was growing short, so he just needed an extra...push. Your confession to him back in Republic City helped move it along."

"How did you know about that?" Tahno stared at _Amon_ peculiarly.

"Tarrlok," Noatak responded simply. The ex-bender didn't bother to inquire about it any further. "Because you're borrowing a part of the firebender's chi from him, you're the one with it in your possession—and you're the only one who can restore the firebender's chi balance in order to save him," Noatak informed him. "So you're going to need to learn how to heal, and quick."

Tahno's eyes lingered on the little pool with the pair of spirit koi circling it's depths, watching moonlight ripple across its surface. "Who knew the one waterbending specialty that I'd need for this would be the one thing I never thought was important enough to learn?" He sighed, lifting his fingers from the pond's surface tension. "Korra's going to kill me when she finds out—after she restores my bending and I save Mako anyways."

He looked at his reflection on the water of Tui and La's abode, noticing the difference in his appearance from what he recalled from what seemed so long ago. The wicked smirk was gone, the playful teasing nature and cocky attitude almost completely absent. What he saw reflecting back at him reminded him of himself after his _fall from grace—_but with more self assurance, less drear and melancholy lingering in the depths of his intense icy blues, and humbled maturity that hadn't been present before. He looked a different entity, and he felt it.

"I wonder if I should even bother telling her?"

"Tell who what?" A new voice startled Tahno from his mental reflections. He hastily pushed himself away from the water's edge to prevent another dip into it from occurring. He then turned in search of the owner of this new voice, finding his previous spectral company absent and replaced with another. At first glance he thought it was Eska, but as Tahno got a closer look at the twin standing there with tray in hand, he noticed the distinctions, the subtle differences of the face and attire that set the two apart.

This was the first time the other twin had bothered to approach him since his arrival, the one he learned was named Desna, Eska's twin brother. Where Eska had an air of peaceful mysticism about her, her brother, Desna, seemed downright creepy. But Tahno couldn't be certain if it was an actual reflection of that twin's character, or the approaching nightfall casting shades that only added to that mystique.

"Who were you having a conversation with, or were you out here talking to yourself?" Desna's tone suggested a sense of amusement at his own suggestion. Tahno gave him a weird stare.

"Just some spirit," Tahno stated, not caring to get any more descriptive. "What are you doing out here?"

"Eska's occupied with our father, and she wanted me to deliver your dinner," Desna walked with less grace than his sister, plopping the tray by the ex-bender's side almost carelessly. Tahno had to make certain the contents didn't spill all over before he could even inspect them. "I hope you _enjoy _it." Without another word, Desna walked off and disappeared from sight.

Tahno watched after the odd twin until the shadows swallowed him completely, and then went to investigate the contents of the tray. Upon lifting the lid, he was given a whiff of something that smelled particularly delectable. It caused his stomach to rumble, making him realize for the first time since lunch how hungry he was.

Something about the dish seemed different from the other cuisine he'd had since arriving in the Northern Water Tribe. It had an exotic taste to it almost. But Tahno didn't take it as a sign of something odd, although he probably should have. At that time, he only thought about it being unique and flavorful in a way that really satisfied his palate.

When he was finished, he set it aside and sat by the pond side, examining his reflection in the mirror that was the water's surface. He was just taking notice of his icy blues when everything started to blur before him. At first believing it to be a trick his own eyes were playing on him, he squinted harder at the surface. But the water wasn't rippling, he realized; the surface wasn't even disturbed.

It was his vision, he realized, that was creating spectacular confusion for his icy blues. Just as he was coming to the realization he was hit by a wave of dizziness that made it hard for the ex-bender to sit upright without feeling dizzy. Fighting to get away from the pond's edge before he had an unfortunate accident, the former waterbender collapsed on the grassy knoll a short distance away. With his mind swimming and everything his sight touched swirling around him, Tahno watched as his surroundings slowly transitioned from dizzying visual whirlpools towards darkness.

XoXoX

Korra spent an hour or two speaking with Avatar Aang after Eska left to check in with her father. When she was finished up, she decided to go in search of the ex-bender to have a talk with him—get a few things straightened out between them before Hiroshi's arrival. As she was heading towards the Spirit Oasis where she suspected he still was, she thought over the information Aang had provided her with.

_Aang told her, in greater detail than she was currently aware of anyways, of the Harmony Restoration Movement after the hundred-year war—the effort to relocate the Fire Nation citizens in the colonies back to the Fire Nation. He also told her about how that at first had backfired—how they almost ended up being on the brink of another war due to the fact that the situation wasn't thoroughly thought out before it was set into motion._

"_So much had changed over those hundred years. So much had become rooted in the area's history—in its people—after a hundred years, that it wasn't an easy task to undertake at first. Change had already begun in the region at the beginning of the colonization, and it was hard to revert it back to what it once was. Change was inevitable—and necessary."_

"_And so—that's what we set out to do. Change everything for the better, make the colonies something even more than they were. A fifth nation where all the others came together—where we all shared common ground. What eventually became Republic City—and the United Republic."_

"_The Spirit Hiroshi's currently working with didn't exactly agree with you about that change," Korra told her predecessor._

_Shock entered Aang's expression at the mention of Hiroshi's spiritual helper. "Spirit?" He uttered._

"_Yeah—the one who's territory was a part of the region where Republic City now exists." Korra did a double take. "Wait—you mean to tell me you didn't __**know**__ about that spirit?"_

"_No," Aang admitted to her. "If I had known about that spirit and its territory during our efforts in transforming the Fire Nation colonies into Republic City—I would have attempted to listen to its demands."_

"_You seriously didn't know?" Korra was shocked in response. _

_Aang somberly shook his head. "It didn't bother to make me aware of its presence. If I had known—"_

"_But you didn't, and now it's up to me to set things right with it," Korra finished for him. "The Spirit needs to understand the circumstances you had to work with—that you had to make those changes before everything could've ended up destroyed by yet another conflict. It needs to understand that things __**had**__ to change in order for everything—including it's territory—to be salvaged from another war, and that it can't blame you for all that."_

"_That revenge isn't going to settle things for it's loss—only coming to a more peaceful solution, some form of agreement between you and it, is the answer," Aang said. _

_Korra nodded her agreement. _"_Thanks for all the information on how Republic City came to be. It's given me some better insight on how I should handle this situation with the spirit."_

"Looking for that guy who can talk to the dead?" Korra was abruptly taken from her inner thoughts when she crossed paths with another in the halls leading towards the Oasis. She looked to her right, the culprit her cousin Desna. It was getting dark, the hallways beside their two presences deserted, dark and quiet.

"Yeah—I was just going to go talk to pretty boy about something," Korra replied, trying to gauge her cousin's presence better in the shadows. For some reason, she could barely make out more than his silhouette, much less the sharper details like his eyes or the rest of his face. "Have you seen him?"

"I eavesdropped on him in the Spirit Oasis a little while ago," Desna said, odd humor in his voice. "Eska finds him interesting, and I don't get why. Before she went to consult with dad, she insisted I bring him dinner." She saw him shrug his shoulders.

"Is that where pretty boy currently is?" Korra asked him.

"Certain he is," Desna said, the shadow of his silhouette slipping down the hallway in the opposite direction she was heading. "There's something you should know about that guy: he was talking to some spirit out there about how things have gotten..._hot_ between he and your boyfriend—no pun intended." Before Desna disappeared completely, he turned to her and added, with the light reflecting oddly in his eyes, "Good luck talking with that guy. Last I checked...he passed out after dinner." Before Korra could question him, Desna was gone, enveloped by the hallway's foreboding shades.

_Hot?_ Korra had to wonder what her cousin meant; there had been something peculiar about her encounter with him, something that sent a prickling chill up through her. But she shrugged it off and made her way towards the Spirit Oasis.

As she entered the Spiritual Oasis, Korra noticed something different about the atmosphere from usual. She felt an unexplained chill run up her spine; she knew that the place was known for being peaceful and quiet, but something about it...it was _too_ quiet—

Korra discovered a still figure sprawled across the grass near Tui and La's abode. She cautiously approached, remembering her cousin's words while also taking into the account the foreboding sense that sought to overwhelm her. Everything was lit by ivory illumination from the full moon overhead, what was not bathed in her ivory splendor buried in shadows. It took being within a few feet of the still form to recognize that it was indeed the former waterbender sprawled there.

Korra got on her knees beside him, and tried shaking him awake. For a good long while she got no response, the alarm rising in her as each minute painfully passed. She got a feeling at the back of her mind, a continued growing sense, that his condition wasn't natural—that he hadn't just _passed out_—

"Pretty boy, pretty boy! C'mon, wake up!" Korra kept shaking him, growing more desperate as he remained still. In an act of complete desperation, she extracted water from the Spirits' abode nearby and—rising it directly above him an instant—dumped it directly onto him.

_That_ got a response. Not as big as she'd hoped, but slowly he came to.

"Damn, I feel like I got struck in the head by a Satomobile," Tahno groggily groaned as he gradually grew more conscious of his surroundings. He was just realizing he was wet. "How'd I—"

"I did that," Korra interrupted him, causing him to look her way in alarm, eyes squinting partly. "You wouldn't come to, and I was starting to think something else was going on. It was my last resort really—besides slapping you silly anyways."

"Thanks for not resorting to violence to wake me," Tahno remarked miserably as he attempted to sit up. He clenched his forehead with his palm, closing his eyes as he dealt with inner pain. "Do you mind drying me off? You soaked me—and it's not like I can fix that for the time being."

"I think Tui and La would prefer to have it back than have you wear it," Korra commented as she remedied his _drenched situation._ "Did'ja just pass out from that condition of yours, or did something else happen there, pretty boy?"

"I don't know, actually," Tahno shrugged his shoulders. "It just hit me without warning. One minute I'm fine, the next—boom, I'm out."

"Are you thinking clearly?" Korra asked him.

"I've got a headache that hurts like hell, but yeah." Tahno looked at her weirdly. "Why?"

"Good—because we need to talk," Korra responded. "Lemme see what I can do about that headache first though." She withdrew a small stream of water from the Spirits' pond and used it on the ex-bender's forehead to help deal with his headache. After a few moments, he released a relieved sigh.

"Damn, that stuff is potent," Tahno commented, opening his eyes to look at her fully for the first time since he awoke. "I'm going to need you to teach me how to do that. I'm gonna need it."

"Healing does come in handy," Korra sent the water back from whence it came.

"Actually, Mako—"

"About Mako—" Korra cut him off. "There's some things I need to ask you about involving him, and some things I need to say, so I want you to just listen, and be honest with me about everything I ask."

Tahno looked uncertainly towards her, but nodded. "Get on with it. We've still got to go over a game plan on how we're going to handle Hiroshi—and you already wasted most of the day doing something elsewhere."

Korra scowled, but didn't comment. "You know those...dreams you've been having lately?" she asked instead.

"The ones about Mako?" Tahno asked.

"Yes," Korra replied. "I was chatting with Eska about some...issues earlier, and she revealed the fact that... Tenzin's been keeping in contact with my uncle, and Kya's reported back to him several times that...Mako's health is deteriorating—just like you suspected from those dreams."

"Damn," Tahno cursed to himself mostly. He looked up at Korra then, "Amon and the Moon Spirit bothered to clear that up for me earlier. Also mentioned something else involving that."

"Did they mention what's causing Mako's condition?" Korra inquired.

Tahno was watching his fingers twitching in his lap. "Yeah."

"Does it have anything to do with your chi linking up with Mako's somehow?" Korra brought his attention her way.

Tahno looked at her uneasily. "What makes you ask that?"

"Koh said that you two connected in some way, and that it's caused some kind of abnormality for Mako," Korra told him. "Eska thinks it's altered his chi in a way that's making Mako sick—possibly even dying."

Tahno continued to watch his fidgeting fingers. "Yeah...it was something like that."

Korra noticed he was getting nervous. She narrowed her eyes some. "How?"

Tahno didn't bother to look up at her. "You're _not_ going to like the answer to that." She could hear the hesitance in his voice.

"I said earlier that I wanted you to be honest—so just tell me: what did you _do_ that altered Mako in such a way that it's slowly killing him?" Korra insisted impatiently.

"What I _did_ isn't what's killing Mako," Tahno spoke up defensively, making lopsided eye contact with her. "Hiroshi—that bastard's damn procedure is what changed everything so that Mako's _paying_ for it now."

"I don't care what Hiroshi _did!"_ Korra shouted exasperatedly. "I want to know what _you_ did that triggered this in the _first place_! Regardless of what _Hiroshi_ did, it's whatever _you_ did that's put Mako _in danger_ right now!"

"Okay, you _really_ want to know what happened?" Tahno retorted back heatedly. She nodded. "You better not kill me for saying this, because—besides the fact that I would rather you _didn't_—you'd be hurting Mako more than you'd ever suspect if you did. And for your information—It's not what _I _did; it wasn't exactly _my_ idea in the first place. _We_...slept together."

"_You—_and _Mako..._had _sex?" _He could tell that Korra was infuriated by the tone in her voice and the fury burning in her eyes. He flinched involuntarily, expecting her to slap him or worse in an instant. "_You bastard!"_ Instead, she surprised him with a very _chilling_ shower. Once the ex-bender got over the chilling shock, he heard a soft sound breaking the stillness of the Oasis. He looked up towards the young Avatar, and noticed she was softly sobbing.

"Damn it—" Tahno cursed. "I told myself I wouldn't get caught up in this kind of mess—" He sighed and got to his feet. "Look, Korra—if it helps anything...in order for me to even come and get you from the Spirit World and be able to return afterwards, he and I needed to do it. It meant something to me, and it did to him too, but—I _swear_ that it was never gonna go anywhere...that it was gonna end at that. After all the shit I've been put through—beatings, the assault—I didn't want to deal with any more of this kind of stuff. I just...didn't—don't want to be hurt anymore." He took a seat by the koi pond, dipping his fingers into it.

"Damn it, pretty boy—I should've suspected that something like this happened," Korra struggled with her sobbing. "I mean, the erotic _dreams_, for spirits' sake—"

"I was hoping you'd never have to find out about this," Tahno stated softly.

"Damn it—Mako's advice has really come back to bite me," Korra remarked bitterly.

Tahno stared at her strangely. "What are you talking about?"

"I deliberately didn't bother to restore you or your teammates bending," Korra replied. "And I recently remembered it was Mako who told me not to—and I listened." She sighed, rubbing at her eyes aggressively to clear away her tearful evidence. "He thought you needed to _earn_ that right back. If I'd done it when I was supposed to—you probably wouldn't be in the position you're in right now, your boyfriend Ming would probably still be alive, your other teammate Shaozu—along with Mako and Asami—probably wouldn't be in danger like they are now, and Hiroshi wouldn't have been able to use you and your teammates as pawns."

"If you're expecting me to be mad about that—I'm not. I figured it was something like that when Mako finally admitted that you could restore my bending for me...and the reasons why he didn't bother to on my first day on the island. I got out all my anger about that the day I found out," Tahno told her. "And, I hate to admit it, but—I get the feeling things happened the way they did for a reason. Ming wasn't meant to survive this, Mako and Asami could be in _much worse_ trouble than they are now, and Shaozu...don't know where he'd be, but it probably wouldn't be any better."

He watched his fingers drifting through the water tension. "As for me...I think that bastard Hiroshi's had a thing against me since the beginning. I mean—that damn pet spirit of his sent Yakone to target_ me_ a week and a half _after _Amon attacked the arena by possessing an ex-rival with an axe to grind with me. I went through pure hell long before any of this would've even mattered—before you were even capable of restoring my bending." He looked at his reflection in the water. "Don't even know if getting my bending back would've prevented me from being suicidal. I probably would've just ended up using it to help make the attempt more successful."

Korra bothered to ask, "That assault really happened then?"

Tahno stripped his shirt off his shoulders. "See these?" He pointed out the red scars decorating his chest and torso. Korra looked up at him with watery eyes, nodding. "Here's my proof for you. Got them from the bastard who thought it might be fun to have his way with me." He offered a halfhearted version of his old mischievous smirk. "If you ever want to see further evidence, you can take me up on those _private lessons_ I offered you at Narook's that one time. I can give you a _full display _then."

"No thanks, I'll take your word for it," Korra replied.

"I didn't think you would," Tahno stated. He pulled his shirt back on, not bothering to rebutton it.

"Where do the two of us stand after all this?" Korra sniffled, clearing the last bit of teary evidence from her face and looked his way. He shrugged; he didn't have an answer for her.

"We just—find a way to get along until this is all over," Tahno told her. "If we can manage to get along afterwards—I'd be fine with that."

"When all this is over, I'm going to have to have a long talk with Mako about this," Korra replied softly.

Tahno flinched at that concept. "If you want to kill me afterwards—go ahead, I probably deserve it."

"Geez, pretty boy—don't even suggest something like that!" Korra exclaimed. "I'm the Avatar—not an executioner! I can't just go around _killing_ people because I have personal gripes with them!" She looked at him despairingly as she added. "I'm angry at you for things—but that doesn't mean I'd actually want to hurt you, much less kill you."

"Maybe we should start talking about what we're going to do when that bastard arrives," Tahno suggested. "We still haven't got anything planned out, and time's kind of running short on us."

"Yeah—we probably should," Korra hesitantly agreed. "So, what should we—" Her words were cut short at a sharp snap coming from nearby. Both turned, alarmed, to face the instigator of the noise.

"I see you both are getting along better." Korra sighed in relief when she spotted Chief Unalaq approaching.

"We're trying to be civil," Korra responded. "Good timing, uncle. We were just going to go over our plans, and we could use your advice on what you think we should do."

Tahno, however, wasn't feeling any relief in the chief's presence. Something about him—his voice, eyes—it wasn't right. "Korra...I don't think—" But before he could get the words out, he was taken by surprise from behind by an unexpected strike that sent him directly into the Spirits' pond.

It took him some time to get over the initial shock of whatever had happened; he kept sinking deeper and deeper into the water, with Tui and La circling around him barely registering to his awareness. It wasn't until he was hit with an eerily reminiscent premonition of a past experience that he snapped out of his mental fog and realized that he was sinking. He at first struggled with his limbs to bring him to the surface, feeling like they were nothing but dead weight for him. He eventually regained total use of them, and strove for the surface at full speed.

When he broke the surface, Tahno was taken by utter shock when he was held in place at the water line by an entrapping ice layer. He struggled against it, wondering what in the world was going on until he looked up—and realized it.

"Not the kind of bending I'm accustomed to, or particularly like, but I guess water _does_ have its pluses," Unalaq's voice sounded eerily unlike his own, coming out rough and almost savagely delightful. There it was—the ex-bender could see it now in the chief's eyes, confirmation to that warning sense he'd felt before taking the dunk. His azure eyes—glazed over and dull—

Tahno looked to Korra for help, but she could provide him none. She too had been taken by surprise, pressed to the ground and writhing in pain. She made pained whimpers as she was pinned to the earth by an unknown outside source. He then noticed the culprit—and made a horrible realization.

There she was—his mother, standing over the pinned Avatar, hands in a position as if to restrain Korra in place by some force Kanani wielded upon the Avatar, face twisted in uncharacteristic malice. Overhead the ivory moon shone bright, giving his mother's form an awesome, eerie aura. Tahno stared at Kanani incredulously; he didn't know his mother could _bloodbend_—

And then, as if that wasn't enough—something vile finally revealed itself from the shadows, looking almost demonic with how moonlight reflected off the lenses of his glasses—Hiroshi Sato. Behind him, a far distance up on the edge of the icy wall surrounding the Oasis on all sides—rested his divine machine, or—in the ex-waterbender's mind—damned mecha. It gave off an eerie incandescent blue aura all it's own, and the ex-bender now knew that glow's origins.

"While you both were preoccupied, I was busy gaining access to the palace and the surrounding premises to minimize any disturbances," Hiroshi spoke in an even, confident tone, towering over the trapped ex-waterbender with an intimidating presence. "I had a few of my own investigate the premises for me before I came to make certain I arrived unannounced—and that you came alone as promised. I then had my spiritual aide put an enchantment on the water tribe to keep its citizens incapacitated for the time being." He looked to the side towards a silhouette standing at the opposite side of the bridge from them in the Oasis, the moonlight illuminating Korra's cousin Desna's face as he crossed over it to approach Hiroshi's side. "I wanted to make my arrival as...unexpected as possible."

Hiroshi stepped away from the pond's edge to loom over the captive young Avatar writhing painfully at his feet. Desna stood by his side, smiling mischievously with an almost evil glint in his eyes. Unalaq came to stand by Hiroshi's side opposite his son.

"It's still too early to set the plans I want to into motion for my tastes, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a side project." Hiroshi got down on his knees and grasped Korra's face in one hand. She looked at him with a frosty glare hell-bent on slaughtering the former businessman. "I can take care of your bending, my dear, while I'm waiting."

"You do that, you old bastard—and you might as well forget about getting any cooperation out of me!" Tahno shouted furiously in Hiroshi's direction. Hiroshi lost interest in the Avatar in an instant to glower in Tahno's direction.

"I guess I'll just have to occupy the time with something less...interesting," Hiroshi grated in response. He shook his head angrily for a second, and then left the Spirit Oasis.

Tahno could only watch, feeling grudgingly helpless as he remained pinned in place, his arms getting numb from the contact with the ice layer at the water's surface, his legs from being unable do anything but churn the water uselessly below him. Oh, how he wished he had his bending back, if only to break free from his frozen restraints. And then, of course, he'd kick Hiroshi's ass with it, if he'd had it—

Meanwhile, Kanani kept Korra restrained in place, looming over the young Avatar with cold defiance.

"It sure feels good to be a waterbender again," Kanani uttered in a husky, deep voice so not her own. "—and a bloodbender at that. Have to thank that spirit for it—especially because it means I can finally exact my revenge with the Avatar after all these years." Tahno stared at his mother in disbelief, his mind struggling to figure out the situation. Which of Hiroshi's spirit cohorts had his _mother_ under their possession_—_

And then it clicked. "I thought Tarrlok nearly had you convinced _not_ to work with that bastard again!" Tahno shouted in his _mother_'s direction. The stare _Kanani_ directed his way, it chilled his blood.

"Why should I take the opinions of my two pathetic excuses for sons seriously?" _Kanani_ responded. "They couldn't even fulfill their own father's wishes—and they don't know how much I need _this_." In response to that, Korra was twisted even more painfully at a twitch of Kanani's hands.

"Even if it could mean complete world annihilation?" Tahno exclaimed.

"Revenge is the only thing that matters to me," Kanani uttered brusquely. "And it's not like the world ending matters much to me anyways. I'm already dead."

"Damn it, you sick, twisted bastard—" Before Tahno had the chance to curse out the bloodbending crimelord further for taking possession of his mother—or the crimes the crimelord had inflicted upon him—Hiroshi announced his return.

"I would say you won't feel a thing, but...I would be lying." Hiroshi towered over the ex-bender with his scary presence, his hand lowering in a fashion that was terrifyingly reminiscent. This time the man's thumb didn't apply pressure against his temple, but instead covered it completely with his palm. Regardless, the former waterbender trembled inwardly all the same, while trying to hold up a defiant façade. "This is for the shock you inflicted on me back in my former underground workshop." Electricity ran through every cell of his being, giving him the awful sensation of every inch of him being set on fire. He barely acknowledged the scream that was involuntarily emitted from his mouth, he was in too much pain to think of much else.

The pain transitioned to numbness, his very molecules feeling heavy. His consciousness was slowly receding towards darkness; before it came to claim him, he caught the sound of a blood-curdling scream, and then it all went blank.

XoXoX

Tarrlok stood on the outskirts of the Northern Water Tribe capitol, eyes constantly on the sky in the far distance as if searching for something. As he stood there waiting, he couldn't help feeling like an utter failure. Just like in life, Yakone had a domineering presence in death that made the usually confident, self-assured ex-Councilman act just like he had when he was a child in his father's presence—a cowering youth who struggled to get a word out in protest against his father. Just when Tarrlok felt he had a hold on the situation, Yakone had managed to turn it against him, and then fled the premises to carry out what he originally intended.

That had led Tarrlok to the North Pole, where he knew Hiroshi would be carrying out the last part of his plan in a few hours. When he arrived, it was reaching beyond the verges of twilight, transitioning towards official nighttime. The capitol of the water tribe he'd called home during his youth was uncannily quiet and dark—even under Princess Yue's bright light. He was currently looking off towards the horizon for the arrival of his one last piece of hope he was clinging to, and waiting for another's expected presence.

"He's got most of the people in the city caught under a spiritual enchantment," Noatak's voice caused his younger brother to turn away from his ocean view towards him. Tarrlok noticed his brother's grave expression. "Hiroshi managed to infiltrate the palace while the Avatar was preoccupied and the former waterbender was knocked out. He caught the two unawares in the Spirit Oasis, and captured them as well."

"There was nothing you could do to intervene?" Tarrlok inquired.

Noatak shook his head regretfully. "I was grossly outnumbered, and without a physical body there's not much I could have done."

"Who all has Hiroshi currently got aiding him?" Tarrlok asked.

Noatak looked at his brother bleakly. "The spirit and his mecha, as well as the former firelord, a couple others I'm not familiar with, and—Yakone." He redirected his eyes towards the sea. "Any signs of the backup party's arrival?"

"They're still several hours out, and I fear they might not arrive in time to help out," Tarrlok informed him.

"It's just as well," Noatak sighed mournfully. "We'll just have to find a way to create a distraction until they arrive."

"Noatak, how is Yakone able to take possession of his living victims? Is it something that Hiroshi's spirit has given him the ability to do—or is it something we are capable of ourselves?" Tarrlok asked him.

"I think, in most cases with the spirits that have helped Hiroshi out—they're aided by the spirit in some way. Yakone, however—" an idea came to Noatak. "I think for our father, his circumstances might be different."

"Different how?" Tarrlok shot an odd glance his elder brother's way.

Noatak only had two words to say in response. "Enhanced bloodbending." It was all he had to say for Tarrlok to get where his brother was going. They watched the sky for a few instances longer, and then moved to formulate a plan and set it in motion.

XoXoX

In the darkness he could hear voices calling his name. How many, who they were—he couldn't seem to figure it out. He existed in that deep well of shadows for a good long while, so it seemed, until eventually vague forms started taking shape in the shades.

_We will meet again, _Tahno heard the Face Stealer saying to him. He vaguely could make out Koh's grotesque figure in the shadowy depths. _You and I—we will come __**face **__to __**face**__ one more time—_

_Tahno, Tahno—are you there? Please come out of it, buddy. C'mon, wake up—_

And then the voices started to fade back into shadowy obscurity until it devoured them. Darkness reined for a while, before something with tangible substance began filling the void with its presence. The shape was vague and washed out, vibrating like ripples on the water's surface.

_Tahno, is that you out there? I get the sense that somebody's out there, and for some odd reason I get the feeling that it's you. If you're out there, please answer me. I need to know that you're okay. I couldn't stand seeing you take that strike; I need to know that you didn't suffer any permanent damage from that. Please, tell me that it's you out there. That you're not caught in this darkness because something bad happened to you at the demonstration—t-that it didn't end up killing you—_

Mako? Was that really—

Tahno put in every effort he could to try and make a connection with the firebender, but the more he tried to, the farther away Mako seemed to get, until he was out of Tahno's reach completely.

_C'mon, buddy—wake up! Tahno, it's getting close to time, so wake up already!_

"Wake up for me, man! Damn it—don't make me slap you until you come to. I'll probably end up regretting it if I have to resort to that!" With a rush to consciousness, Tahno was jerked away from his unconscious _connection_ with Mako and brought back to reality at the sense of somebody shaking his shoulders hard. In the moonlight, he could barely make out the identity of the silhouette leaning over him, shaking him—but he knew it was Shaozu from his shouting. The situation Tahno immediately woke up to had him very confused. How did his friend end up—?

And then it all began coming back to him. His mother's figure, eerily silhouetted by rays of light from the moon overhead, stood watch over another figure at her feet, who's hands were restrained behind her back, eyes blindfolded with a cloth tied around her head. He recognized the restrained figure as Korra's—and he noticed she was conscious, albeit the fact that she was bound and visually gagged.

Her lips were twisted in a snarl, he could tell. The ex-bender's eyes wandered further, spying another form sprawled right beside the Avatar. Bound and gagged much like Korra, with long dark tresses flowing all over the verdant grasses underneath her head, lay Asami. The ex-waterbender could just make out her identity, but he was certain that's who it was.

But what about Mako?

And then he saw the reason for all this looming in the shadows behind his teammate. Ignoring Shaozu's relieved cries, Tahno snarled at the man standing there, the figure of that damned former businessman who had dragged them all into this complicated mess of his. And in that madman's grasp, his unconscious form held at dagger point—was Mako. When Tahno noticed Mako's ashen complexion, he lost some of his focus on the former businessman. The firebender looked ill, almost deathly pale. It was almost enough to make the ex-bender sink into despair.

And then the ex-waterbender noticed his friend beside him once more. Shaozu looked a wreck, hair all mussed, clothing disheveled and not a good fit—as if they belonged to somebody else (and they probably did), face dirty and scratched up in a few places, bruises decorating distinctly one eye in particular and various light marks across the rest of his face. But his eyes were bright and steely, staring angrily at the man at the center of all this. A glare filled with all the hatred Shaozu could muster plus some.

"I know that both you and the Avatar hold particular affections for this _street rat_, so—" Hiroshi made a point of lodging that dagger tip right near his captive's jugular, short of slicing away what life was left in him. "Will I have your cooperation for my plan, or will I have to resort to cutting down _two_ former firebenders to get what I want?"

Tahno glared flintily at the crazed former businessman. "Just do what he suggests pretty boy."

He turned his gaze sharply towards Korra, staring at her incredulously. "Why?"

"Just—do it, pretty boy. If Mako ends up hurt—his blood is on _your_ hands."

"Don't worry, just make it look legit," Tahno heard Shaozu whisper in his ear. "Just...follow through with whatever he asks. You need to go to the Spirit World anyways, buddy. _They're _expecting you there." The former waterbender caught some odd vocal intonations in his friend's voice, but didn't get the chance to question it. All eyes were on him—especially those of the former businessman himself.

Tahno glared hard at Hiroshi, his intense fury returning before he stamped it down and conceded. "I'll do it."


	28. Chapter 28

_Damn, I was shell-shocked when I learned book 3: Change was premiering this week. I'm freaking hyped, but at the same time...the other story I've been working besides this one...I'm just hoping it won't change too much of what I've got planned for that, or make me choose to drop the plot altogether. It won't affect the outcome of this story, so don't worry-this one's all said and done with. Just requires some __reediting to make sure everything's okay before the chapters are posted._

_Off that—I hope you all are enjoying the plot thus far. There are a lot of chapters left, but the Hiroshi conflict will last about 5-6 more chapters more. So—enjoy, and look forward to Book 3!_

XoXoX

Tarrlok once again found himself standing alone by the seaside near the capitol of the Northern Water Tribe, contemplating his thoughts as his eyes were directed out to sea.

"_Are you certain we inherited our father's abilities to that extent?" Tarrlok exclaimed incredulously once Noatak finished explaining his plans. Noatak had nodded in response._

"_It's probably not as effective for us as it is for him since he's had experience with it and spiritual backup, but I managed to possess Miss Sato in the Southern Water Tribe when my situation there was getting desperate," Noatak responded. Tarrlok lost a little of the doubt in his mind, and saw his brother's reasoning._

"_Which one of us should try to break the possession over the tribe's current princess?" Tarrlok asked his brother._

"_I'll handle that, while you keep a lookout for any help that might just happen to show up," Noatak told him._

_Tarrlok asked then, "Do you think the United Forces will send more backup?"_

"_I don't think they would leave the entire Northern Water Tribe vulnerable to an invasion. I'm certain they will send somebody up to help bring Hiroshi down and deal with the spiritual dilemma," Noatak replied._

_Tarrlok sighed then, ready to part ways with his brother for the time being. "I hope you're right, Noatak." Before leaving him behind, he heard Noatak say one more thing to him._

"_I'm certain that I am."_

Tarrlok suddenly got the sense that something was out there. Something—different from what he had been sensing for the last few hours, the sense of something living somewhere out there at sea in the distance. He couldn't see anything to confirm the feeling, but he _knew _the feeling was valid regardless.

"Maybe you were right, Noatak," Tarrlok muttered to himself before he went in search of the source of this essence he was sensing, to see if it was indeed out there—and determine if it were friend or foe.

XoXoX

One of the advantages Korra found to being blindfolded was the fact that when her eyes were covered, Hiroshi and his cohorts wouldn't notice her transitioning into the meditative state she used to communicate with her predecessor. It was also a useful guise just in case she ever needed to use the Avatar State if the situation called for it.

While the external party remained oblivious to it, Korra was internally communicating with Aang. She had heard his voice calling to her once she emerged from unconsciousness and realized she was blindfolded, summoning her for some purpose. Seeing as there was nothing else she could do and felt it might be important; she heeded his call and answered. Aang informed her, as he hovered in place across from her in spectral form, about his communications with Tui and La and what he had learned from them. He also informed her that he had spoken to the Face Stealer personally as well. Korra listened carefully knowing that the information he was providing would be useful to her.

"So, for now—we just distract Hiroshi by giving him what he wants?" Korra asked once he was finished.

"_At the moment—it appears to be the best solution."_

"Yue told you that Amon and the ex-Councilman might have a way to distract Hiroshi even further until Kya and company arrive?" Korra asked.

"_They are hoping to overpower at least one of Hiroshi's possessed victims and turn things in their favor."_

"Are they having any success with that?"

"_From what the Moon Spirit told me...one of them is currently testing out the theory on your cousin Eska_."

"Eska? That bastard's got one of his cronies possessing her right now?" Korra exclaimed.

"_Unfortunately yes—along with the Chief and your other cousin Desna. Hiroshi had the spirit he's working with also incapacitate the rest of the water tribe population to make sure none of them would interfere when Hiroshi arrived,_" Aang informed her. "_They are hoping to remedy that soon by breaking the connection over Eska first and then move on to your other cousin and your uncle after that._"

"I hope they can free her from that soon," Korra responded. She sighed, looking at her predecessor anxiously. "So—Hiroshi's really got Mako held at dagger point."

Aang nodded gravely. _"Yes._"

"And he's not looking good, like pretty boy predicted?" Korra asked anxiously.

Aang responded with an even grimmer, "_Yes._"

"And Koh's expecting pretty boy to show up? That's been the Face Stealer's plan all along, am I getting that right?"

Again, Aang responded with, "_Yes._"

"If Koh's expecting pretty boy's appearance, then pretty boy's gonna need to know the way towards the Face Stealer's lair—and I'm not sure if he knows the way." Korra said.

"_I'll keep a watch out for hisß arrival in the Spirit World so I can lead the way towards Koh's lair,_" Aang informed her.

"Thanks, Aang—I'd appreciate you helping him out," Korra told him, gesturing with a grateful head nod.

Aang seemed distracted for a moment, as if caught in some internal conversation. He then returned his attention to Korra, "_You better get back to your consciousness. Tui and La have just informed me that the former waterbender has awoken, and Hiroshi's ready to make his demands."_

"Yeah—I want to be certain I hear what Hiroshi wants from him. Might help me get a grasp of the current situation," Korra agreed. She then broke her connection with Aang and returned to her physical consciousness. As she became fully aware of her surroundings, she heard Hiroshi speaking to the ex-bender.

XoXoX

Tahno now knew how helpless Korra had been when Hiroshi first showed, how she wasn't able to react against his mother's bloodbending as Kanani used it on her. Bloodbending was extremely painful when one ended up being on the recipient end of the procedure, and he couldn't get over how restrictive it left his movements—how it didn't give him any leeway in the least when it was being fully applied.

Shaozu was separated from his side and restrained by the possessed chief, and Korra's possessed cousin Desna took over _guardianship_ of Mako from the former businessman. Tahno's own mother stepped forward at Hiroshi's request, and brought him near the water's edge of Tui and La's pond by force. She then held him in place so he wouldn't have any chance of escape while Hiroshi was explaining his demands.

He had been held there in place for several long moments while Hiroshi was kept occupied by something at that current moment. Yakone had brought his mother's presence uncomfortably close to him while _she _restrained him. Tahno couldn't see where his mother stood, but he could sense her presence—thanks to the malevolence emanating off her because of the crime lord's possession over her.

"The spirit informed me that—after your _fall from grace_ in the arena—I had to find a way to keep you mentally preoccupied for some reason," He heard his mother's voice whisper gruffly in his ear. "You reminded me so much of the little pest that ratted me out about my bloodbending—the way you acted around town and paraded that ego of yours in and out of the arena. When word got out that you were _queer_—it brought two and two together. I discovered an old rival of yours who had a grudge with you—wanted to do some real damage to you—so I decided I'd follow his desires and putyou _in your place_ in that alleyway several months back." Yakone laughed shortly at the ex-bender's expense.

Tahno gritted his teeth as Yakone forced his mother's voice in his ear. "I learned later that it was to keep you too traumatized mentally to notice that the Avatar found a remedy for the procedure my son Noatak used to strip benders of their bending. I didn't care what the motivation was—I _enjoyed_ putting somebody who reminded me of the queer prick who ratted me out in his proper place. Made it even better when I left my _marks_ all over your body."

Tahno knew with absolute conviction that he would get Hiroshi—and, for that matter, Yakone—back for all that they both had done—to him, his mother—Mako, Asami, his friend Shaozu, Korra's family as well as the Avatar herself—

Before Tahno had the chance to shoot back some nasty retort, Kanani backed away, and Hiroshi stepped in. Kanani forced her son's head upward to stare in Hiroshi's direction as the former businessman towered over the ex-bender. Tahno couldn't even cringe as he was held in place, on his knees.

"What I need for you to do, young man," Hiroshi began gruffly. "Is for you to fetch me some water from around the base of the tree the Face Stealer dwells underneath. The water that exists under that tree, much like that in this pond—" He indicated the spirits' pond beside them. "—Has special properties. It has sustained the unique life of Koh's habitat—and I want _you_ to get some of it for me."

"Before I even consider doing this for _you_, I need you to answer a few questions for me," Tahno snipped at the former businessman. "Why me? How did you know about my teammates and me in the first place—what we are capable of under the right circumstances? And—how did you know about my mother...and why in hell did you have to involve her in the first place?"

"My spiritual aide has kept me advised of all the details I needed to know for my plan to come to order—and that includes everything that you and your teammates are capable of, as well as the fact that your deceased _friend_ has been working with the Face Stealer since the beginning," Hiroshi responded coolly. "As for your mother—I learned from my source that she was important to you—and also discovered she would be useful to me as well. I have been told that I need the water from this pond and that from Koh's tree combined in order for my plan to work, and that I'll need a waterbender to activate both waters' special qualities—a waterbender with proficient bending skills. Why not hit two turtleducks with one stone when the opportunity presents itself?"

"Damn you!" Tahno snarled. "Promise me then that you won't hurt her—or Mako, or the rest of the people you're holding captive here, and I'll fetch that damn water for you!"

"If you refuse to do it—I'll just make certain the pain I put them through will be excruciating," Hiroshi snarled in response. "So—are we clear on the details? Will you do exactly as I _asked_?"

"Yes," Tahno seethed. "How do I go about reaching the Spirit World then? Just dive into the pond until I find some kind of magical portal at the bottom?"

"The Chief will show you," Hiroshi motioned for Unalaq to step up beside the pond. Meanwhile, Kanani restrained Shaozu in place with her bloodbending; Tahno could hear his friend's pained cries as he was forced to his knees.

As Hiroshi came nearer to the ex-bender, Tahno noticed at a quick glimpse that there was a fiendish smirk on his face before the former businessman leaned in close to say something in his ear.

"I'm well aware of the fact that I could've demanded your presence to retrieve what I'm asking you to sooner, but I thought it would be a better idea to make you wait until the last minute." The ex-bender caught a wicked glint in Hiroshi's eyes as the former businessman's gaze connected with his. "Fetch the water in this." Hiroshi forced a small glass jar he produced from his jacket pocket into the ex-bender's hands before adding, "It won't give the Avatar much time to restore your bending to save your life in the end, and—that will give _you_ even less time to save the _street rat's_." As Hiroshi stepped back and gave Unalaq some kind of signal with a specific hand gesture, Tahno stared at the former businessman in astonishment.

Before the ex-waterbender could question Hiroshi about where he had learned that from, the chief was busy at work doing just what he'd been asked to. Without uttering a word, Unalaq gave a few motions of his arms above the water's surface, causing it to shift and create a circular tunnel leading downwards. Without a warning, a tendril rose from the water's tension and, with unexpected speed, came up behind the bewildered former waterbender and sent him falling down into the newly created mini _vortex_.

XoXoX

The night was half spent; this Kya knew by the moon's descent across the sky. From what she could determine, it was a few hours shy of morning, and daylight would peek out at the far horizon in a few hours to break out in dawn. As they traveled the last remainder of the distance, the daughter of the previous Avatar could only hope that Hiroshi hadn't gotten too far with his plans—if he had started them at all by now.

"Hey—do you see something out there, moving in the sky up ahead?" Bolin took Kya from her concentration on the path ahead, bringing Kya to look in the direction she noticed the young earthbender pointing out something to her. "It looks like there's something moving above that unnatural looking fog cloud up ahead."

Kya squinted, trying to get a better look at it. "Bolin, I think you're right. It does look like there's something _flying_ above that fog bank that we're fast approaching." She had to wonder what could be moving about this far out, and this far north at this time of night. Was it some seafaring avian creature, or possibly something human? "Let's get closer and investigate."

Quite rapidly they were hit with a frosty, chilled mist that suddenly surrounded them on all sides. Kya got the growing suspicion that it wasn't by any means natural. But what person, or people, could be out here creating such an extravagantly large field of fog cover, and for what reason—

That question answered itself rather quickly when they almost clipped something in midair. Kya had to rush to pull on the reins to divert Oogi from the path of her brother's glider that abruptly appeared from out of nowhere. Tenzin was just as surprised as she when he caught a glimpse of his own skybison nearly coinciding with his flight path.

"What are you doing out here?" Iroh called out to the airbender as Kya fought to gain control over Oogi's flight path once more. Tenzin circled in on his glider, coming in close enough for the bison-bound trio to notice the airbender wasn't alone. He made some clicking noises that drew Oogi's attention, causing the skybison to obey his nonverbally communicated instructions of getting into the proper position for the airbender to land on Oogi's back. Iroh and Bolin helped the two new passengers board the skybison.

"Bumi and the United Forces thought it best to provide the Northern Water Tribe backup with his vessel in regards to Hiroshi," Tenzin informed them once he and the young waterbender perched on his back had secured their positions. "I was hoping we might catch up with you somewhere out here and swap notes."

While Tenzin directed Oogi towards Bumi's ship, Kya filled him in on their trip since their last connection: the various _demonstrations_ Hiroshi bothered to put on in the northern-most reaches of the Earth Kingdom, the escape and recapture of Asami, and the cleanup efforts they attended to while they were stranded in a forest buried little village. Tenzin didn't give his sister too much trouble over the damage Oogi took during their confrontation with Hiroshi.

They arrived onboard Bumi's vessel about twenty minutes later, right in the middle of an unusual scene playing out on deck. Under the light of the mid-descent moon, as the five got off Oogi's of back, they spotted the Lieutenant caught in some kind of mental seizure. Kami ran over to him quickly while the others approached the odd spectacle, cautiously awestruck.

Tenzin caught his brother's presence nearby. "Bumi, what's going on?" A cluster of Bumi's crew were standing there, disregarding their assigned tasks to gawk at what was going on. Bumi shrugged his shoulders, smiling suddenly upon seeing his sister's presence alongside their brother.

"Ho, Kya—good to see you three made it this far in one piece!" Bumi commented, taking his sister up in a big bear hug. She returned it back with the same force, and the two laughed heartily after breaking it up. It died quickly when the current situation came back to their attention.

"It'll be okay," Kami was reassuring the former second-in-command to Amon, speaking to him as if to a troubled child. Slowly he began to calm, and then looked up to the party with clouded eyes. Kya and her two travelling companions, along with her brother Tenzin, the newly present Lin Beifong, and her metalbending officers by her side got into their various defensive fighting stances until The Lieutenant spoke.

"Don't worry, I'm a friend, not a foe." The Lieutenant straightened himself up, taking a few strides away from Kami towards the ship's captain and his surrounding party. "I needed to communicate through somebody who has been faced with spiritual possession before as this is my first time attempting this."

"Who are you?" Tenzin question cautiously, remaining on alert in case the need to strike arose.

"Ah, Tenzin—still all riled up with my presence, even in death," The _Lieutenant_ mused. "It's ex-Councilman Tarrlok, and I've come to report what is currently going on in the Northern Water Tribe." He paused a moment, taking on a characteristically familiar serious expression. "I've also come seeking your help."

"Tarrlok, eh?" Lin spoke up. "I guess the rumors are true then. You perished at sea."

"Yes," the Tarrlok-possessed Lieutenant noted regretfully. "Me and my brother Noatak were troubled, and we weren't meant to be long for this world, not with our blood being tainted by the likes of Yakone anyways."

"What are you seeking our help for?" Tenzin asked.

"Sato has already begun his plans at the Spirit Oasis, and has most of the people under a spiritual enchantment," Tarrlok explained through possessed lips. "What I'm hoping to do is build a plan to take him down without endangering any of his young captives—or the possessed Water Tribe citizens he has at his disposal."

"How far is it from here to the Spirit Oasis?" Bolin spoke up. "And—is my brother Mako present? Asami? Korra? Are they all alright?"

"For now, your brother and all your friends are unharmed, for the most part. Your brother is unconscious, but still intact, and Miss Sato, Avatar Korra, and the Wolfbats boy are all being restrained, but still alive," Tarrlok assured him. "And—if you take the skybison—the trip shouldn't be any longer than an hour or two's travel. Hiroshi sent that former waterbender into the Spirit World almost two hours ago, and I'm hoping he can take his time there while you all figure out a way to take out that machine of Hiroshi's."

"We have a plan for that. You're speaking through him," Tenzin informed the ex-Councilman. "The Lieutenant has assured us he knows how to disable it so the machine can be destroyed. We just need to discover a way to separate the spirit from the mecha."

"Everyone get back to work," Bumi instructed his gawking crew. While they were snapping out of their funk and getting back to their assigned tasks, Bumi spoke to his siblings. "Why don't we take this below decks into my cabin? It'll be more private there, and we'll get more done."

Tenzin nodded, and Bumi led them to his private quarters.

XoXoX

For the longest time Mako had drifted in the shadowed realm of obsolete darkness, an all-consuming abyss from which he was starting to believe he would never escape. At one point he thought he'd sensed Tahno's presence out there—had even tried beckoning to him—but as soon as that sense came it dispersed, and Mako had been caught in utterly silent obscurity since. And then—the darkness was taken over by something familiar. A scene he hadn't witnessed in so many years—

Mako was struck with an overwhelming wave of emotion when he realized how it was familiar. He hadn't seen the setting, the living space he currently stood in, since the time he was eight. And standing in the middle of the living space was a woman he hadn't seen in just as long.

The scene, the woman—it brought tears to Mako's eyes. "Mom."

"I just had to see you, my little Mako," His mother's voice was as sweet as he remembered. It brought him abruptly to his knees, sobbing. He felt actual warmth of an embrace and in an instant realized his mother had him in her arms. With that same sweet voice continuing, "Mako, my little Mako—oh, it's been so long, how I missed you..."

She let him sob on her shoulder for a while. Then she pulled him away to gather his attention. "I don't have much time to visit with you, but there are a few things I need to tell you. About your father, that former waterbending boy, your current condition...and the loss of your bending."

She wiped away the tears with a motherly touch. "After our deaths...I was able to move on, knowing that you boys would be okay, but your father had a harder time with that—so he's been watching over the two of you from time to time. He's been especially present around you over the past few months because Koh had asked him to. He's aware of the fact that you struggled with being a firebender after witnessing our deaths, and a part of Koh's lesson about that involves you figuring out whether your really appreciate your bending—or would be happier without it."

"Mom—do you know if there's a chance I can get it back?" Mako asked in a sob-choked voice.

His mother nodded. "Koh says under special circumstances it can be, but yes—there's a good chance you can have it restored."

"You mentioned Tahno," Mako slowed his sobbing. "D-do you know if he's okay? I sensed him not too long ago, and after he took that beam—"

"He's fine, and is currently travelling into the Spirit World," His mother assured him.

"Mom...do you know what's currently going on—what's wrong with me?" Mako looked into eyes that he shared the eye color of. His mother nodded. "Am I...dead?"

"No—you're currently bound to limbo, the realm between the two," His mother told him. "That's the reason I can currently visit you. The reason you're here is because you've linked energies with the young man you call Tahno. When your bending was taken from you, it bound him to you, and has resulted in him relying on your energy to sustain him. As a result it has weakened you—to the point where it's put you in this comatose state. Physically you are currently in the Spirit Oasis of the Northern Water Tribe."

Mako looked into his mother's familiar eyes, not able to press down the urge to start crying once more. "I miss you and dad so much. I-I sometimes still wish I could've saved you—"

"I'm just thankful you were able to save yourself and raise your brother," She hugged him tightly. "I wish I could've seen you two grow up. How is your brother? Is Bolin happy?"

"Yeah, Bo's doing fine," Mako said. "I-I wish you could've been t-there too. If only I could've d-done something to save you b-both—" He broke down into a sobbing fit.

"Sh, sh—it's all right," his mother told him soothingly, pulling him closer to her. "I don't want you to think you could've done something to prevent what happened, my little Mako. Things happen for a reason, and—I'm just glad my two boys survived. I'm proud of what you two have become."

Mako didn't say anything more, instead sobbing more into his mother's shoulder as she held him comfortingly close.

XoXoX

_Ming stood before that large mangled looking tree above the Face Stealer's lair with a bedazzled look across his features. He took a deep breath—more for the mental reassurance than for any physical necessity, as there really wasn't any—and then started moving forward._

"_I did what you asked me to in that dream you visited me in a few nights back," Ming announced at the mouth of the cavern. "I hope I won't end up regretting the decision I made to sacrifice my life so I could help you out." From within emerged that infamous spirit known as the Face Stealer. Koh sized up his visitor and then smirked with twisted carmine lips. _

_Koh stated as he approached his young visitor, "You won't regret it."_

"_So—we're really the only ones who can help you out with this situation you mentioned to me?" Ming asked, keeping his expression neutral. _

_The Face Stealer seemed to take notice of his visitor's attempts at expressive neutrality, and laughed heartily. "You don't have to struggle to keep a __**straight face**__."_

"_And lose it when I flinch in the slightest? I don't think so," Ming responded._

"_I don't want your face," Koh informed him straightforwardly. "Do you think you would be of much use to me if you were faceless?"_

_Ming caved by raising his eyebrows in shock, eyes widening. "But—you're notorious for doing that to those unlucky enough to come stumbling across your path. They don't call you the __**Face Stealer**__ for nothing."_

"_My need for your help, and that of your lover, is too great for me to resort to my usual __**hospitalities**__ at this time," Koh informed him. "And yes—certain circumstances have made you and your two__** companions **__the only ones who can communicate with and help assist me in regards to what I've foreseen."_

"_Speaking of those two," Ming looked doleful all of a sudden. "Are you certain Tahno's going to find happiness again after all this is over? You assured me before I chose to do this that he'd find love again—be happy again. I told you I wouldn't do this unless he did, so I hope you weren't lying just to get my help." _

"_Rest assured—your beautiful specimen will find the happiness you seek for him," Koh told him. _

_Ming sighed mournfully. "He's going to be totally devastated when he discovers what I did to myself when he gets home from work."_

"_The experience will help him grow—and will play into the plot I see unfolding before him," Koh stated, his carmine lips expressing a natural smile. "The impact of your death is beneficial in helping him realize the gravity of his past mistakes—the collective mistakes you both have made. His grief for your loss will eventually pass, and he will emerge as the person he's meant to be, on the path he's meant to travel."_

_Ming looked at the Face Stealer, partially dubious. "I hope you're right about that."_

_To that Koh expressed a wide and very animated grin. "I'm certain of it."_

"_You're twisted, you know that?" Ming accused the Face Stealer._

_Koh smirked wickedly. _

"_It's my specialty." _

Tahno felt his weight being balanced in the grasp of two arms acting as supports underneath him. The air brushing against his face felt heavily humid, with a strong swampy musk to it. As he further came to, he heard the sloshing of wet footsteps pushing their way forwards. He opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings as well as the identity of his carrier. He was a little startled to notice he was in the grasp of Korra's predecessor, even more so by the uncanny bog marsh surrounding them.

"Hey—what happened?" Tahno's words brought Aang to an ultimate halt. Dark gray orbs met with quizzical icy blues.

"When you entered the Spirit World through the gateway, you were unconscious," Aang explained. "I had to reach for you quickly, or you would have easily drowned in the swamp—and Koh wouldn't be happy with me if that happened."

"Koh, huh?" Tahno remembered his purpose again, and the dream he'd had before he came to. "How far do we have to go before we reach the Face Stealer's lair, and...how long have I been out?"

"It's not much farther. In a few more minutes we'll be reaching dry land. When we do, I'll set you down then," Aang informed him. "As for how long you were out...I believe it's been several hours. Time passes differently here though."

_Damn_, Tahno cursed internally. "My timeframe here's short, so I hope you're right when you say it's not much farther to the Face Stealer's lair."

"Look ahead," Aang instructed him.

Tahno did, noticing for the first time the approach of that infamous upside down behemoth that marked the above ground location of Koh's abode far off in the distance. The tree itself was much more intimidating when spied with his wakeful eyes than it had been any time he'd visited it during his many dream visitations, even from a distance. Its roots rose menacingly up towards the sickly ocher hued sky overhead, it's bark twisted and gnarled like the skin of a well-weathered and ancient face. His eyes were mesmerized in its mere presence until he felt his feet connecting again with solid earth. He looked up to see Aang stepping away slowly from him, eyes ever watching him.

Tahno struggled to keep balance on his two pathetically weak legs, but somehow he managed. He swayed a bit first before he managed to steady himself.

"Are you going to be able to make it from here?" Aang asked him. "I have something pressing I need to keep in contact with Korra about, so I can't hang around here for too much longer, just in case she needs me."

"I think I can handle it," Tahno assured him. "Before you go—what direction do I need to head to get outta this place when I'm through with my visit with Koh? I'm gonna need to leave in a hurry once that's finished."

"I'll send a guide your direction to make your travel more efficient and quicker, so keep watch at the base of the tree after you depart," Aang stated, saying nothing more specific before adding a few parting words, "Good Luck." Tahno watched as the previous Avatar disappeared into the ethereal mists of the bog marshes bordering Koh's nearly barren domain before turning his attention back towards that gnarled monstrosity he had to reach in order to complete the task he came for. He took one long gulp and then pressed forward.

The trip was more treacherous then even he first acknowledged it would be, as this was the first time he was making the trip completely by foot. He hadn't realized it before, but Koh's tree rose above the mist that surrounded it, like an island on a misty lake. He had to hop, on by one, across pillars of earth that rose to form his path, and it took a lot of willpower to successfully go from one to the next without succumbing to the fear of missing one and falling into the depths of the mists below.

Once he managed to make it across the risen pillars towards the base of the tree, Tahno didn't take his time to sightsee as he approached that giant tree looking for the entrance to Koh's lair. He didn't care to acknowledge the eerie landscape that existed around it, nor the uncanny creatures that dwelled there—especially the faceless victims that aimlessly roamed those parts or the huge wolf that passed it by from time to time. Just the thought of all those victims of the Face Stealer's made a shiver run up his spine. He could only hope he didn't end up being a part of their sordid collection.

He found the mouth of the cavern after some searching, and crept inside it cautiously. He knew what to expect, yet couldn't shake that building apprehension that grew with each step he took. When he approached that all too familiar curve in the tunnel, his nerves were practically screaming at him in panic. But he managed to squelch them, and expose his presence to the labyrinth's occupant.

He was scarier in real life than he ever was during any of Tahno's dream summons. Rows upon rows of insect-like appendages jutted out by the numbers to support the weight of that grotesque centipede-like bulk. A circular row of similar appendages lining around the end where the face existed—a face that was too disproportionate to the rest of the body, and too fine of feature to match either. The creature was made of a mess of divine beauty and monstrosity, and he had a reputation to match his motley appearance.

"We finally meet _face_ to _face,"_ The Face Stealer stated, back still turned to the ex-bender.

"Yeah—the bastard Hiroshi made certain that my departure from my reality to come meet up with you here was a hasty one, "Tahno remarked.

The Face Stealer turned to face the ex-waterbender, who froze up as Koh's eyes landed upon him. Recalling all those unfortunate creatures roaming outside Koh's lair, Tahno wasn't up to taking chances. Koh's lips twisted in a satisfied looking grin as his eyes met up with the ex-bender's. It took all Tahno could muster to keep from reacting when the Face Stealer broke out in unexpected laughter.

"That's the same reaction I received from your departed lover the first time I summoned him here after he made his sacrifice," Koh spoke merrily as his laughter calmly subsided. "My beautiful specimen—you can set aside your qualms about losing your ability to _face_ me for the time being. I won't accomplish much if you return home _faceless_. I fear you might not survive long without it back where you belong."

"What?" Tahno exclaimed. "Are you saying you're not going to attempt to steal my face then?"

"If I'd intended to from the beginning, you would have lost your face on your first visit," Koh replied amusingly. "You're very...expressive; it is very obvious to me you struggle to keep your expressions neutral." The Face Stealer grew serious, his exaggerated carmine red lips pressed into a straight line for a moment. "Your time is running short, and you came seeking something—am I correct?"

"Yeah, Sato sent me to fetch him some special water from the base of your tree," Tahno replied. "Which I'd be better off just faking it's retrieval so the bastard can come here and fetch it himself."

"But you _will _need that water for yourself," Koh informed him. "To save the firebender, you will need it along with the water from Tui and La's pond."

"Damn," Tahno cursed. "If I'm going to need that damn water—I'll need you to show me exactly where it is so I can fetch it then."

"I'll show you where the water's located," Koh responded. Instead of turning to lead the way, the Face Stealer came in closer to the ex-bender's face, his stench-heavy breath wafting in the ex-waterbender's face. "But that can wait a moment. The water isn't the most important reason why I have summoned you here."

Tahno stared back at the Face Stealer incredulously. "It isn't?"

"There are some things that are very valuable for you to learn in regards to Avatar Korra and the firebender," Koh replied with a grin, backing away from the ex-bender's face a hair. "In order to prevent the possibility of Hiroshi Sato's actions from causing irrevocable damage to our two realms, there are other details I think are crucial to point out to you that I have yet to divulge. Also—" He made a facial switch towards that of Kuruk's fiancé, adding afterwards, "—There are also some specific details that are important for _you_ to know about that I have been waiting for this moment to tell you about."

"I'm just glad you're not intent on stealing my face right now, because your face changes drive me up the wall," Tahno remarked. "So—there's information I don't know about Hiroshi's plan, and something you want to say to me specifically? Let's get it over with then, cause I don't have time to stand around all day watching you show off your many different faces."

XoXoX

Eska could only remember the shadowy silhouette of her father when she went to visit with him after her twin's summons on his behalf. She recalled standing in the doorway of his private quarters, ready to inquire from her father what he wished to see her for when she had felt a sharp stab of pain upon the back of her neck and the utter complete blackness that claimed her soon after.

Now, as she came to, she found she couldn't even lift her own hand to investigate the throbbing sensation originating at the spot where her neck connected to her shoulder blades. Her mind came to life, but it wasn't her control that lifted her eyelids, or her own commands that sent her body up in a groggy sitting position. It was all beyond her control, and her mind was screaming in mental agony over the sense of feeling trapped.

Eska's own mental voice, however, remained calm as it sought for an answer for this maddening lack of motor function control—lack of _self_-control. _What is going on?_ It sought out, not really expecting a reply. She was utterly rattled when she received one.

_You're under my control, __**princess**_, a boyish voice sneered in response, with hints of amusement mingled in. _I was told to keep you here in case you awoke to prevent you from causing any trouble. Plus—I'm having a little fun with this. I didn't get to enjoy the perks Yue had to offer when I was alive, so I'm getting my dues by screwing the Moon Spirit over by holding her most devoted follower captive._

_Who are you, and why do you have a grudge with Yue? _Eska asked. _At least_..._to me_—_it sounds like you have a grudge with her._

_Yeah—I do,_ the voice grew more malicious, angry. _First she favored that pathetic water tribe peasant over me, and then she had to go and sacrifice her life to become the Moon Spirit—and not one time during all this did she think about me! My __**needs**__, my__** circumstances**__, my __**fate**__! She only cared about __**hers**__—hers and that pathetic peasant and everyone else's!_

_Who are you? Were you somebody close to Yue when she was alive?_ Eska bothered to ask.

There was obvious irritation and surprise in the voice that replied. _In all your communications with Yue, she's __**never**__ once mentioned my name, or anything about me? _He practically shrilled, the sound unpleasant to Eska's consciousness. _I was her fiancée damn it! How could she not bother to mention Hahn at all?_

_Yue spoke little of her personal matters during our conversations. That stuff mattered little to the both of us,_ Eska responded.

_Mattered little? _His voice seethed with anger. It then perked with malicious delight. _I'm not gonna feel too bad about her fate anymore, now that I know that's how it stands between her and me. _

_Her fate?_ Eska inquired, confused. _Is something going to happen to the Moon Spirit?_ She desperately pressed as she felt a queasy churning in her stomach.

_Ha! Who knew I'd end up working alongside the very guy I sacrificed my life to defeat? _Hahn mused. _Yeah—admiral Zhao came up with this brilliant suggestion for Sato's little plan, that little bit about bringing back his dead wife, and he's planning to use both the Moon Spirit and—_

Before he could finish his rambling, Eska heard a mental gasp escape from Hahn before she got the sense of some kind of mental power struggle over her own body. Hahn desperately clung on to control, but eventually lost to his unidentified opposition. He let one last snarling cry before Hahn's connection was completely severed and the other took over.

All the while Eska was frantic. _What's going on here? Who's invading my mental space now?_

_Don't worry, princess Eska, I only meant to break that spirit's mental grip over you. In a moment, I'll dispossess my presence from you. But first—I need to talk to you, and this is the only way I can._ The voice was deeper, masculine. Eska hadn't the faintest idea who this new presence was, but she felt some relief that this new force had pushed out the other.

_What did you want to tell me?_ She asked. _And—who are you?_

_I need to inform you about the current situation involving your father, brother and cousin—Avatar Korra. I...also need your help,_ he told her. After a pause, he answered her other question. _As for who I am...I am Noatak, formerly of the Northern Water Tribe. Also known as...Amon._


	29. Chapter 29

While Tenzin was busy speaking with Tarrlok, the rest of his party had been preparing for their upcoming mission. Kya got Bolin and Iroh motivated into getting Oogi ready for another flight, gathering supplies and possible weapons they might need to aide them. Lin spoke with her officers, discovering in the process that a few of them had biplane flight experience. She spoke with her flight-capable officers about some options while Kami stood off to the side waiting for Tarrlok to conclude his possession over the Lieutenant.

"I will have a talk with my brother, see what the two of us can do about the possessed chief, his son, daughter and the former waterbender's mother," Tarrlok stated via the lips of the Lieutenant. "Meanwhile, it's growing lighter out—we should probably get everything set in motion very soon. The day is passing us by—and it's only a matter of time before the ex-waterbender returns from the Spirit World bringing back the vital piece to the final phase of Hiroshi's plan, and it's best we subdue Sato before that boy gets back here."

Tenzin nodded in agreement. "Go check in with your brother, Tarrlok. We'll work out everything from this angle and be on our way shortly."

"If I had the time to do so, Tenzin—I would apologize for all the trouble I caused during my brother's campaign, but time is of the essence, so I'll just say this—good luck." Tenzin could tell Tarrlok made his departure by the change in the Lieutenant's persona—the clarity returning to his eyes, the stern expression softening a bit. Tenzin returned to the activity back above deck onboard his brother's vessel, seeing that everything was almost in place. Lin approached him with a couple of her officers beside her, Bumi on the side opposite them.

"Me and my officers will provide backup by using the biplanes onboard to make our way to the water tribe while you and Kya take the rest over on your skybison," Lin informed him. "That way we don't all weigh Oogi down in midflight, and—since there are radios onboard each plane, we can report back to Bumi what's going on when we arrive. I will take one officer with me on a reconnaissance mission of the water tribe capitol to get the current status of the citizens of the tribe—see if we can discover an angle to catch Hiroshi off-guard from, and hopefully find some help in the process as well."

"Also, _Ten_zin—I contacted United Forces about the currents stats, and they informed me to keep them up to date on all information I can provide them with. They've sent up a small backup fleet in case things get hairy for you guys," Bumi informed his younger brother. He extended out his arm and rested his palm on Tenzin's shoulder. "Good luck out there, bro—you and sis both. I'll be back here rooting for you—and if the occasion calls for it I'll come storming in to save the day." He grinned broadly. "What kind of big brother would I be if I didn't protect my siblings if they ended up getting themselves in deep trouble?"

Tenzin rolled his eyes. "I need to grab my glider and make certain Kya and the two boys are ready to depart, so if you'll excuse me—" Bumi pulled his hand off his brother's should as Tenzin went in search of his sister. Kya was helping Bolin load the last of their need supplies onto Oogi's saddle while Iroh was securing it all into place. The Lieutenant and his little waterbending tagalong were pitching a hand in when they could. As he approached, Tenzin still felt strange about the former second in command to Amon's presence there, but he shrugged it off as he stepped up beside his elder sister.

"Are you about ready to head out?" he asked Kya as she handed another pack up to Bolin. She looked to Tenzin, smiling and nodding.

"One more pack needs to be secured, and then just us," Kya informed him. "And you? Got your glider ready for the trip?"

"It's ready for me when I need it," Tenzin replied. "Are you certain you can handle flying Oogi in there?"

"Tenzin—I brought Oogi this far without too many problems, I think I can handle one more short trip," Kya assured him. She grinned. "You worry too much sometimes. Don't worry, Tenzin—I'll take good care of Oogi. I'll keep him out of the fighting as much as possible for you."

"I'll let you finish up," Tenzin replied, hints of irritation in his voice. "I'm hoping to be at Korra's aide long before noon, and time's slipping past rather quickly."

Kya looked off towards the distant horizon at the half-risen sun. "Yes, it is," she agreed seriously. She helped Bolin with the last pack while Tenzin went in search of his glider.

XoXoX

Korra hadn't really been aware of it much before, but right now—as she sat there, tied up and blindfolded—she got the sense of something...malicious, foreboding even, nearby. At first she suspected that it might be Hiroshi's presence—whom Aang, through his sources—had been keeping tabs on for her, and she knew was located somewhere close by (she could hear his breathing as he impatiently paced back and forth). She also suspected it might be coming from her _possessed company—_Tahno's mother Kanani, who was being controlled by Yakone, from what she learned—or the ones possessing her relatives, the yet to be identified to her spirits currently controlling her uncle Unalaq or her cousin Desna's movements.

For some reason, however, after she had been given enough time to consider it's source—what seemed like hours, days even—she sensed that it was coming from a source that was darker, more foreboding than even Hiroshi or his spiritual cohorts. And then it occurred to her—the spirit from the region of Republic City, the one currently aiding Hiroshi via his uncanny mecha—

"The young man will be back shortly with the water," An unfamiliar feminine voice rang out, disturbing the eerie near silence. Something in the tone seemed insistent from what Korra could tell—"But there appears to be a more pressing matter that must be addressed before he returns. It appears there is trouble looming nearby."

Hiroshi stopped his pacing. "What kind of trouble, Bakeru?"

"The kind that could interfere with our plans if it is not taken care of soon," That same feminine voice responded.

Hiroshi sighed discontentedly. "Zhao, go fetch that water tribe lad, Hahn, and investigate this. Report back immediately what you discover."

"Yes, Hiroshi," Korra heard her uncle Unalaq reply gruffly. She heard the departure of fast paced footsteps, and then Hiroshi pacing again.

"What do you suggest we do in the meantime, Bakeru?" Hiroshi spoke up, his pacing ceasing yet again. There was a tensed pause.

"Might I suggest we put our ultimate goal into motion?" that same eerie, feminine voice responded. "The retribution we both mutually desire?"

"Yes." Korra heard the former businessman approaching her. "Yakone, I want you and Ozai to keep an eye on my _daughter_, the street rat and the Wolfbats boy down here while I concentrate on the young Avatar." Two yeses were made quickly in response while Hiroshi's footsteps grew uncomfortably close. "Bakeru, can you give me a _hand_ with the Avatar here?"

"It would be my pleasure, Hiroshi." There was something delightedly sinister in the feminine voice then, but Korra had hardly more than a nanosecond to ponder it before she was startled by the sensation of something wrapping itself around her. She yelped in shock as she was raised in the air by what felt like a supernatural tendril ensnaring her. She struggled, but it didn't do her much good.

Korra heard Shaozu shouting as she felt herself being helplessly lifted up into the air. In response she heard Hiroshi laughing suddenly. Korra groaned as the tendril restraining her all a sudden tightened its grip on her. She heard Shaozu shout heatedly as its tightness grew increasingly excruciating. Korra then heard struggling coming from below, voices speaking, and then footsteps fast pacing it to somewhere the young Avatar couldn't determine. She heard a second set start to give chase, but a command from the former businessman halted them in progress.

"Don't bother with that one—it's no use chasing him down," Korra heard Hiroshi tell somebody. "Dealing with the Avatar right now is _top priority_."

XoXoX

After Hiroshi forcibly sent Tahno towards the gateway of the Spirit World, he hadn't bothered to have Shaozu tied up again; figuring he probably wasn't much of a threat. Which probably wasn't far from the truth, Shaozu admitted bitterly to himself as he sat there by the pond's edge watching the koi swim in mesmerizing circles. The odds were not in his favor—the former firebender knew it—as there was only one of him against Hiroshi and his cohorts, along with a potentially powerful spirit to boot. There were many ways it could go wrong for him if he attempted to take the former businessman down on his own, and he knew he couldn't risk it.

So he had sat there mesmerized by the two fishy spirits under the water tension in front of him, waiting for something—_anything_—to happen that might make him useful again. Hours passed and Shaozu's mind was set in a daze where the only thing he acknowledged was the circular dance Tui and La performed for him. He caught parts of conversation Hiroshi made from time to time, but didn't invest much thought in what the former businessman said.

It was when he heard the Avatar's sudden yelp that Shaozu snapped back to reality completely. He looked in alarm to see Korra—still blindfolded and tied up—rise in the air with a dark tendril wrapped around her frame. Shaozu abruptly shot up to his feet.

"Hey, you bastard—what do you think you're doing!? Put the Avatar down right now! You promised Tahno that you wouldn't touch Korra!" Shaozu's shouting drew Hiroshi's attention in the direction of the former firebender. The former businessman stared hard at him before breaking out in laughter.

"I never promised you friend anything." Hiroshi replied after the laughter subsided. Shaozu glowered at him, seething with rage as Hiroshi gave his spiritual aide a command, "Bakeru, would you mind giving me a hand up there?"

"I'm not about to let you betray Tahno by allowing you to harm the Avatar!" Shaozu shouted at him, but Hiroshi hardly paid him any attention now. His anger grew, becoming hard to contain. Shaozu looked away from the madman and his mecha, eyes connecting with Hiroshi's beautiful daughter lying unconscious nearby and the still form of the other former firebender, Mako. A noise brought his attention instantly back towards Asami. He noticed her stirring, her head lifting slightly from the natural verdant carpet beneath her, her long, tangled dark hair blocking her usually beautiful face from view. Knowing not what else to do, Shaozu rushed to her side to see if there was some way to aide her, maybe break her free so they could attempt to bolt for help. If Shaozu recalled correctly, the former businessman, while in conversation with his spiritual aide, had hinted at there being trouble nearby, which could mean help for him and the rest of Hiroshi's captives—

Hiroshi was distracted while his spirit aide was hoisting him up towards his mecha, Shaozu thankfully acknowledged as he knelt by the madman's daughter's side. Asami turned her head to look at him with blurred green eyes as he got to work trying to break her from her bonds.

"Are you totally there, Asami?" Shaozu asked her as his fingers tangled with the rope binding her wrists. After he got them free, he helped her sit up. She smiled faintly at him, her lips cracked and traced with hints of past bleeding.

"Shaozu, what's going on—where are we?" Asami asked him weakly.

"Spirit Oasis," Shaozu answered quickly. "Look, Asami—we've gotta bolt for it as soon as I get you untied. I think help's somewhere nearby, and that bastard of a father of yours isn't planning to keep his word to Tahno—or the Avatar." He felt like he was getting close to releasing Asami from her restraints when he began adding, "I think he intends to take Korra's—" Before he got another word out, he was suddenly knocked to the side by something cold and wet. He was sent tumbling towards the water's edge surrounding the little spiritual island, almost knocking him right into it. Shaozu managed to grind his descent to a halt by grabbing up tufts of grass in his hands hastily. He heard Asami release a startled gasp as he tried to gain a firm grip and get to his feet.

In the time it took for him to recover, Kanani had moved in and thwarted Shaozu's chances of breaking Asami free. Not_ Kanani_—whichever spirit happened to be controlling her, Shaozu had to remind himself as he focused on Tahno's mother.

"I'm not about to let you two escape," Kanani growled in a deep, aggressive voice. Shaozu stared at Asami helplessly, ready to take a step towards her to duke it out with his friend's mother to break Asami free. But something in the young woman's eyes caused him to halt.

"Shaozu—get out of here!" Asami pleaded with him. "Go find help! If you're right—that help's somewhere nearby...you need to find it—fast!"

"But...Asami—" Shaozu started to protest.

"Someone needs to remain for Korra, Mako and Tahno's sake," Asami told him. "Just gbefore it's too late!" Shaozu hesitated a moment longer, but then nodded and met her eyes quickly before looking Tahno's mother in the eye. _Kanani_ gave a sudden yelp as her feet were knocked out from under her by Asami to distract _her. _"Just go before it's too late!" Following that, Shaozu made the decision to then bolt out of there in a hurry, not knowing where he was heading. As he ran, he heard footsteps start to follow him, but they ceased at the distant sound of Hiroshi's voice.

He had crossed over one of the bridges leading out of the Oasis, passed through the door leading to the outside, and was entering the twisted hallways of the palace to look for help when a loud explosion halted him in his footsteps. In the far distance he heard sounds of a battle beginning. Shaozu pondered whether he should turn back or keep running, eventually coming to the conclusion to keep going. He was just about to start running when something coiled around his frame and ensnared him in its grip. He let out a startled yelp as its grip tightened, and it began dragging him down the hall against his will.

XoXoX

Not long after Tenzin took to his glider, he got the sense of a storm in the beginning stages of brewing. He could smell it in the air as he flew close to the location where he believed the Spirit Oasis was located as he acted as the lookout from above. He took shelter in the cloud cover that happened to be overcastting that region of the North Pole at the moment, carefully observing the Spirit Oasis below as he came to hovering over the spot. He did a few turns on his glider, getting a better perspective of things without alerting anyone on the ground to his presence.

The scene below him was almost the same as Tarrlok described it, minus the detail about the Wolfbats firebender not being tied up like the other two were. Tenzin circled a couple more times before he headed back to give his sister the stats of the current situation.

He brought himself in for a landing with a shift to the draft of the air keeping him in flight, landing comfortably on his own two feet on smooth, slick ice. He noticed his sister's presence at the transition in the ice's surface to ensure he wouldn't slip.

"How are things looking at the Oasis?" Kya asked in a subdued tone.

"Just as Tarrlok described—give or take a few minor details," Tenzin replied. "Is everyone ready for the mission?"

"Bolin headed into the city to see if he could be of any use to Lin and her officers there, but the rest of us are ready whenever you are," Kya responded.

Tenzin took in the approach of Iroh, the Lieutenant, and Kami, and then said, "Let's get going then."

XoXoX

After Noatak helped dispossess her of the other spirit named Hahn, he informed Eska of the current situation and what he knew to that point. He assured her he'd look for somebody to help break her out and return shortly with them. Noatak had departed afterwards, leaving Eska to her own defenses. She resorted to pounding on her bedroom door in hopes that _somebody _out there would hear her, or that maybe she could break it down herself. She did so for near an hour straight, losing hope that there was anybody nearby that could help her out of her predicament. She was about to quit when she heard a voice calling to her. Not by name, but in search of somebody—

"Anybody out there that can hear me?" Eska had a hard time hearing it; she had to press her ear to the door. The same thing was repeated again, and then once more. The third time was clearer. And the voice sounded familiar—

Eska started pounding more desperately, calling out at the same time, "Bolin! I'm in here!"

"Eska?" She heard Bolin's voice directly on the other side of the door.

Eska let out a relieved cry and let up her pounding. As she slid down against the door's surface, "Bolin, am I so glad to hear you voice right now. Please, can you help get me out of here? The door's locked."

"Yeah—I'll go get Beifong. She should be somewhere nearby, and might be able to pop the lock." She heard Bolin rush off down the hall. All was quiet for a time, and then she heard the approach of footsteps again. "I found her. Hope you didn't wait too long."

"No—it's fine, I just want out," Eska replied.

"The lock on this looks simple enough, so it should only take a few—" while Lin paused, all three heard the lock pop. "—There." The door was then forced open; Eska had to pull away from it in a hurry to prevent from being smashed into the wall, in the meantime ending up on her side on the floor. She spotted Lin and Bolin looking down at her as she rolled over to greet them. "Are you unharmed?"

"I'm just tired and a little frustrated," Eska replied as Bolin helped her to her feet. Even as the young earthbender helped prop her up, Eska suddenly sunk to her knees with a startled Bolin trying to help her regain her footing. She put a hand to her forehead as she tried to steady her feet underneath her.

"Eska, are you going to be okay?" Bolin exclaimed.

"One of Hiroshi's spirits possessed me through most of the evening, and I think it's worn me out some," Eska explained. "Bolin, who else came in your party, and where are they currently?"

"A couple of my officers are searching the grounds for other water tribe citizens that haven't been incapacitated," Lin spoke.

"Kya, Tenzin, Iroh and company came in on Oogi, and said they'd be investigating the area around the Spirit Oasis, cause that's where they think Hiroshi headed," Bolin added. "They wanted to see where everything stood before they go intervene and attempt to destroy Hiroshi's machine." Mention of the Spirit Oasis brought Eska's recent possession with Hahn back to mind—what her temporary possessor told her before Noatak forced him out. That small detail about the Moon Spirit—

_The Moon Spirit's in danger_, Eska remembered. Her eyes widened at the thought. _**Yeah—admiral Zhao came up with this brilliant suggestion for Sato's little plan—**_

"Why don't you take the princess and go aid Tenzin and Kya while I investigate the premises a little bit more?" Lin told Bolin. Eska, meanwhile, was caught in mental turmoil. There had to be something_ she_ could do. Noatak had informed her that Korra, her brother and father needed her—

"Sure we shouldn't take her back to—hey!" Bolin exclaimed as Eska bolted from his reach and down the hallways until she was out of earshot. He was about to attempt to follow her when a palm on his shoulder restrained him.

"She's light on her feet, and you'll have a hard time catching up to her," Lin informed him when the younger earthbender glared at her. "Run off and help Tenzin and his sister. We can catch up to her later. Stopping Hiroshi is our top priority right now."

Bolin dropped his shoulders and heavily sighed. "Yeah, you're right." Lin gave him an awkward reassuring pat on the shoulder, and then left him standing there. He went the opposite direction in search of Tenzin and company.

XoXoX

Korra's mind flooded with different options on how she should handle her current situation, but nothing that came to her seemed feasible. Struggling against both restraints—ordinary bindings and the spirit's tendril—only led to the spirit slowly crushing her in its grasp. When it got so tight she could barely breathe, she stopped. And it didn't help that she couldn't even _see_ what was going on—

She heard Asami shouting in the distance—pleading really—to release Korra, but Korra knew the other young woman's pleas were, unfortunately, falling on deaf ears.

Suddenly she felt the tendril forcibly press her knees against solid ground, forcing her into a kneeling position. She heard Hiroshi's approach, the murmuring of words passing between he and the spirit before she sensed him standing right beside her. Korra could feel the sweat accumulating on her brow as she came to realize what the situation was building up to, the flashbacks causing her mind to almost act out in panic. Yet somehow she managed to keep herself rational—even as she heard the slow hum of the mecha's engine starting up, and the pressure—all too familiar pressure—pressing against her forehead.

And then everything changed at the sound of an explosion. Korra let out a surprised cry as the ground crumbled out from beneath her. Midways into her descent downward something caught her and lifted her into the sky. A few moments later her feet were making contact with the ice, and somebody was working on untying her. When the blindfold was released from her eyes, she came face to face with Tenzin.

"Tenzin?" Korra exclaimed. "How did—?"

"Are you okay?" Tenzin interrupted her. Korra stared at him blankly for a moment before nodding. In the distance she saw Iroh aiming lightning strikes at Hiroshi and his mecha. It had been one of Iroh's strikes that crumbled the ledge where Hiroshi previously held her captive. In the aftermath Hiroshi managed to keep his footing, and—with some help from the spirit, whom Hiroshi had called Bakeru—regained his previous stability further away from it.

While Hiroshi was preoccupied regaining his footing, Kya showed up on the scene, watery tendrils snapping back at tendrils Bakeru attempted to thwart her with as she approached. Kya played a decisive maneuver, using her bending to create a convenient water column that brought her inside the Spirit Oasis while just missing Bakeru's constant attacks.

While Iroh was busy giving it _shock treatment_, Hiroshi's mecha absorbed each shocking blow Iroh made on it, his lightning strikes leaving little to no effect on it. A few times it had an instant powder-blue glow after particularly strong strikes, as if the machine had a protective shield against destruction. Which Korra came to realize it probably did. As long as Bakeru inhabited the machine, it might be near indestructible.

While Iroh was attacking the mecha from one angle, a surprising outcome came at it from another. Korra was astounded to see the Lieutenant, kali sticks in hand and blazing with intense energy, using those same said Equalist weapons against the sides of his former employer's machine. He struck blows with intense fury, but even his blows seemed to have little more effect than Iroh's fire strikes.

Even while it was being constantly bombarded by assaults from two different angles at least, Bakeru managed to set Hiroshi back down inside the Oasis when the former businessman commanded him to. Korra watched the former businessman disappear inside the Oasis before turning quickly to Tenzin.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Korra verbally confirmed. "But Asami and Mako won't be if I don't deal with Hiroshi's spirit."

"Do you have a plan on how to deal with the spirit, Korra?" Tenzin asked her. She nodded grimly.

"Yeah—I think so," Korra responded. "Go keep that thing and Hiroshi busy, okay? Also—if you could find a way to get Mako and Asami out of harm's way before Hiroshi can use either of them for his plans, I'd be grateful. I can't stick around to do that myself though, unfortunately I've got something else I need to tackle." She then bolted from sight before Tenzin could stop her. Conceding with a sigh, he turned his attention back towards the ongoing action on the brim of the entrance above the Spirit Oasis, situated his glider, and did as Korra suggested.

XoXoX

After Tenzin left again on his glider, Kya made sure to handle last minute details before she, Iroh and the Lieutenant headed out. One of those details was assigning Kami as Oogi's caretaker while the rest of them were busy.

Kami hadn't been too thrilled with that request. "I want to help."

"Somebody needs to stay here and watch Oogi," Kya informed the young waterbender.

"But—" Kami began protesting.

"The elder waterbender is correct," the Lieutenant cut in, landing a hand firmly on the girl's shoulder. She immediately shut up. "Stay here and out of trouble. Your mother would be sad if something happened to you here." Kami immediately complied after that, although she frowned as they left her behind with the skybison.

"Our main goal should be to separate the spirit from the machine," The Lieutenant said in a harsh whisper as they took cover nearby to their target. "I can't get inside and disable it while the spirit's inside."

"Any ideas on how we can do that?" Iroh inquired.

"The best option that currently comes to mind is to provoke it to come out," The Lieutenant replied, shrugging. "It might not be effective, but it's the best I can come up with."

"I guess I'll just shoot it with lightning blasts and hope that helps," Iroh stated. "Kya, what're your plans?"

"Investigate what's currently going on in the Oasis," Kya replied. "And see if there's a way to get those kids away from Hiroshi before things can get worse for them." She looked from one face to another, getting agreeable nods in response. The trio quietly observed the current situation in progress. Hiroshi had Korra entangled in one of the spirit's tendrils, and it was forcing her onto her knees.

"It looks like he plans to debend the Avatar prematurely," The Lieutenant quietly noted.

"We'll just have to foil Sato's plans then, won't we?" Iroh suggested.

"Can you two tackle that while I go in and investigate the Oasis?" Kya inquired.

Iroh issued her a reassuring grin. "I've got it covered."

Kya looked to the sky, gratefully spotting flickering signs of her brother on his glider in the overcast sky. A moment later Iroh was on his feet and putting his idea into action, sending one terrible lightning strike at the ground below Korra's feet. And then the Lieutenant joined in, and he and Iroh got to work assaulting the gargantuan machine. She waited until the two had established their assault before she too inserted herself into the situation.

Kya used some landscape ice for her purposes. It came in handy when a supernatural tendril came at her abruptly from out of nowhere. She used her water whip to knock the tendril aside while twisting her body to avoid yet another. Kya then looked over the ledge, taking advantage of an opening the spirit left for her entry. Iroh and Amon's former second in command picked up their efforts in time for Kya to take advantage of the distraction. She used water from the channels surrounding the Oasis's inner island to aid her in her descent into the spiritual sanctuary. She wasn't as lucky getting inside the Oasis as she was getting past the spirit _guarding _the entryway. Halfway down her column collapsed right out from under her, and she plummeted a good several feet before impacting with the surface of the water of one of those channels she originally borrowed the water from.

Kya quickly clung to the edge of the channel and climbed out of the water, briskly shaking the water out of her clothes before observing her surroundings. She barely missed a water whip aimed for her head. When she cleared it, she spotted the culprit, who stood in a battle stance less than two body lengths away.

"I believe you're the daughter of the late, _great_ Avatar Aang," Kanani sneered in an unusual tone. _Not _Kanani, Kya had to remind herself, some spirit possessing her. "The scourge that set me up for disaster. I'll be especially happy to see _you _and that _airheaded_ brother of yours fall at Hiroshi's doing. As the old saying goes—an eye for an eye, blood for blood."

Kya got to her feet. "I take it you're Yakone then?" she inquired. Not waiting for an answer, she got herself ready to defend against any strike the spirit might aim her way. "For the record—what you were doing was illegal. You forced my father's hand when he stripped your bending from you. He wasn't given any other options on how to handle you—you were too dangerous otherwise."

"This coming from the daughter of the pathetic waterbender who made it _illegal_ to bloodbend," Yakone used Kanani's lips to spit out the response. He twisted her expression into maniacal rage. "You pacifistic waterbenders make me sick."

"You really think my mother is a pacifist?" Kya remarked. "My mother is anything but a complete pacifist. She taught me practically _everything_ I know." She gathered up a large tentacle of water from the channel nearby, converting it into a several tentacled creation, which she used to attempt to subdue Kanani—er, Yakone, in his footsteps. Kya had a feeling that Yakone would counter the move, but she was doing it more to distract the spirit than to full on attack him. Kanani was still inside that body somewhere, and the last thing she wanted to do was seriously injure Tahno's mother if she could help it.

She twisted those intricate tentacles in quick succession around the other woman's slight frame, squeezing it slightly to restrain her arms to her sides. Kya narrowed her eyes as she motioned her hands to tighten it even further, until a nod of Kanani's head caused the watery structure to collapse.

"I must admit that was a decently strong move there, but that's not going to be enough to subdue me I'm afraid," There were tad hints of awe in Kanani's borrowed voice. Not enough to get Yakone to stop fighting back. Yakone was on the defensive, raising the water Kya had just used against _him_ against _her_ instead.

Kya managed to hold her own against the attacks Yakone threw her way, feeling evenly matched against her spirit opponent. At one point in the duel she felt she might gain the upper hand while not resorting to tactics that would hurt the possessed woman, until Korra's cousin stepped in to aid Yakone and made it two against one.

XoXoX

Eska practically sprinted towards the Spirit Oasis to help put a stop to Hiroshi's plan for the Moon Spirit. Explosions in the distance caused her to halt for a second in alarm, until she realized where they were originating—and what might be the culprit. She was about to break out in a dead run when something took her off guard and forcibly brought her to a halt. She felt the wet tendril wrap itself around her and pick her up off her feet. Eska struggled as it drew her down a side hall and away from her destination.

"Hiroshi should have had a stronger spirit keep watch over you," the voice was familiar, although gruffer than she recollected. "This time I'll make sure you don't get away, _princess."_ She was turned to face her captor, who turned out to be none other than her own father. Eska stared at him, wide-eyed in shock and horror.

"Father?" Eska exclaimed numbly. Her father's head shook aggressively.

"Not exactly, _princess_. Zhao's in control here right now, and I just learned from an incompetent water tribe boy that you're aware of Hiroshi's plans for the Moon Spirit—that you intended to go warn the rescue party about that detail—but I'm here to delay your efforts. Actually—delay's not exactly the right word. I think the right one I'm looking for is _stop_."

"What—are you going to have my father tie up or knock out his own daughter again?" Eska snapped at him. Zhao forced a cruel smirk across the chief's lips.

"You're more useful awake than out cold," Zhao replied. "Hahn, be more careful this time. I can't save your ass every time you mess up. I already felt that you were too incompetent to take part in Hiroshi's plan—don't end up validating that feeling for me." Before Zhao had finished the second half of what he was saying, Eska felt the foreboding presence overwhelming her conscious once again. She agonizingly lost control of her body to her previous possessor, and this time was helpless to break free of his control. While she was being put through that torment, she heard what Zhao was telling Hahn.

Once he finished regaining control over her, she felt Hahn curving her lips in a twisted grin. "I'm not gonna lose the princess this time. If that damned other spirit comes back to fight me—I'll be better prepared to fight back this time."

"Good," Zhao gruffly remarked. "Let's get back to Hiroshi. I overheard that a rescue party's just arrived, and I'm sure he'd like our assistance in putting a stop to it."

Eska felt the disturbing joy bubbling inside Hahn's essence just then. "Let's go make sure that Hiroshi's able to succeed with his plans so he can punish the Moon Spirit." Unbeknownst to either the malevolent presences or the water tribe's current princess, a pair of eyes was watching from the hidden shadows.

"Damn it—I should've returned to her sooner," Noatak cursed softly. "Maybe I should've stayed with her the whole time." He concededly sighed, and slipped further into the shadows in search of his younger brother, who was somewhere on the premises.

XoXoX

Tahno stared at the small jar in his hands, watching the water inside slosh back and forth as Avatar Aang's skybison, Appa, brought him back to the Spirit Gate. He was only half aware of the water as he thought over what Koh told him before fetching the special liquid.

"_I mentioned Avatar Korra's predecessor's first venture to my lair involving and La to her. Do you know the tale of the Moon Spirit—of Princess Yue's sacrifice?"_

"_Yes, I do." Tahno looked at the Face Stealer peculiarly. "What about it?"_

"_I was hoping, in what I told her, she would pick up on the danger the Moon Spirit, as well as the Ocean Spirit, is in from it, but she apparently didn't grasp onto that detail. Hiroshi intends to use Tui, and I believe La possibly as well, and the two enhanced waters combined to enhance his ability to strip bending on a massive scale, and also to resurrect his wife using his daughter's body as the required living vessel. Bakeru, the spirit aiding Hiroshi, is capable of life bending, and plans to bend the life force of the Moon Spirit to aide her in both goals. Do you understand __**why **__it's imperative that Hiroshi's plans be thwarted before he can accomplish either goal?"_

Tahno was staring hard at that little stoppered vial of water clasped in his hands. He had understood then just how important it was to stop Hiroshi as he did now. Outside remembering the details of his conversation with the Face Stealer, he was also trying to figure out a way to keep that water from getting into Hiroshi's hands once he returned.

"_There's also something I believe you should know about Hiroshi's other spiritual aides, those other spirits that are all driven by vengeance against benders—or, specifically...the Avatar."_

Tahno remembered what else Koh told him as the skybison pressed forward. About how there was something darker, malevolent, occurring to those said spirits' _souls_ because of their unwavering drive for vengeance and the hatred driving their motives.

"_Are you talking about Yakone, Ozai, and the rest of them?"_

"_Their need to cling on to their anger, hate, and desire for vengeance has darkened their essence, and it is slowly changing them into something that reflects that very nature. It won't be long before the transition will be completed, and they will prove to be a real threat._ _They will permanently take to their darker physical manifestations the next time they make that transition, and—in those forms—they will become much more dangerous than they currently are_. _If you need a better idea of what that transition is fully like, ask Avatar Korra about the spirit confrontation at the Southern Water Tribe festival."_

The thought of Yakone and his spiritual cohorts getting stronger than they already were—that didn't sit well with Tahno. Imagining what Yakone currently was capable of, and then imagining him transitioning into some with more _physical_ power—

"_What I want Avatar Korra to understand is how imperative it is to learn from one's actions—from the accomplishments, but especially the mistakes. Mistakes that she's made, others she's interacted with, and those of her own predecessors. It's the Avatar's goal to not only be responsible for keeping balance in your realm and acting as the bridge between the two realms—but to also learn through human experience, and grow the potential of the Avatar Spirit through those experiences. I was hoping that Avatar Korra understood the impact actions like cheating and abuse of her bending can have after witnessing the consequences you and your teammates faced in the arena during the championship, but as soon as she had access to the Avatar State, it became obvious that she hadn't learned from the karmic path your actions chose for you. My hope is that she has learned something through this experience—has grown from it."_

"_And then there is that firebender you have...grown so attached to. My beautiful specimen, __are you conscious of the fact that it was because of personal issues the firebender had with your actions that your bending wasn't restored to you?"_

"_Yeah—they both admitted that much to me on separate occasions," Tahno responded._

"_It's my hope that, being put through the experience of the loss of his bending, it will give him a better perspective on the results his choices and judgments can create. But it isn't only meant to be a learning experience for the firebender. The boy you call Mako has also expressed regret over his bending ability—specifically as a result of the loss of his parents. You know about this, don't you?"_

"_Yes."_

"_The __**test**__ I want him to face with the loss is whether he truly would be happier without it—or if he'll grow to appreciate it more with its loss."_

"_Korra insisted that you wouldn't allow her to fix that for Mako—that you'd be the one to decide whether he got his bending back or not. What I'd like to know is this: what needs to happen first in order for Mako to get his firebending back?" Tahno asked._

"_First—make sure that Hiroshi's goal never comes to fruition, because—if Hiroshi successfully achieves the ability to strip bending on a massive scale—the possibility of his firebending ever being returned will be permanently out of his reach—as well as for Hiroshi's other victims."_

Tahno recalled being irritated when he didn't receive a straight answer in response to that.

".._.Like karma is all about cause and effect, it also comes in cycles. One cause can lead to a sequence of actions that lead to one particular conclusion. Take for example the situation leading to the loss of your bending. Your cheating and arrogance led to you facing those consequences, and all that you experienced in the aftermath. In light of that loss, the Avatar didn't learn the consequences of cheating. When they both chose to deny you the right to restoring your bending for personal reasons, it led to complications arising in the Avatar and firebender's relationship, and the firebender's loss of his bending." _

"_Speaking of my bad karma—was Ming's death a part of the price I'd have to pay in all this?" Tahno bothered to ask._

"_The loss of your bending impacted you heavily, but it wasn't enough to make you realize what was really significant in you life_. _His death was necessary in making you realize what was truly important—make you grow beyond the arrogant young man you previously were._"

"_One thing you haven't bothered to mention yet that I've been wondering about—does the love triangle between Korra, Asami, and Mako play into this in any way? Is there something you want both of them to learn from that mess they created—or is that whole situation not as important to you as it was made out to be?" Tahno asked._

"_It plays a role, although not as vital of one as the others. It affects the firebender more so than the Avatar. Due to his parents being killed while he was still fairly young and having to shoulder the burden of raising his younger brother, he had to grow up fast, and that has had an impact on how he deals with people. The firebender has difficulty handling interpersonal relationships as a result—especially romantic ones."_

"_The death of his parents subconsciously has created this sense of non-permanence for him, I believe. It is my belief this has led to indecisiveness that has influenced the decisions he makes and how he handles his interpersonal relationships. My hope is that through this experience he has learned something about dealing with relationships—and how to be more decisive with the choices he makes. If he and the Avatar are going to continue to develop a relationship with one another, he needs to understand this since his opinions and choices have an effect on hers."_

Tahno recalled that silence set in for a time after that. His impatience had driven him to restart the conversation:

"_Now that we've got the details involving Korra and Mako out of the way, let's get to what you're expecting from me. The current water tribe princess insisted there was something you expected from me, and you mentioned earlier that there was something you specifically wanted to tell me. So, tell me—what're you expecting me to sacrifice, or whatever?"_

"_Do you recall having a dream when you first entered the Spirit World?" Koh asked him._

"_The one about Ming's first visit to your lair?" Tahno responded._

"_Yes. Think about the dream further. What can you derive from it?"_

"_My time is limited, and you're expecting me to play a game of twenty questions?" Tahno exclaimed. The Face Stealer only grinned mischievously. Tahno gave him several different responses, and would have kept going if Koh hadn't pointed out one in particular._

"_You reassured Ming that I'd find happiness—that I'd find love again_?"

He was partially occupied by his trip through the Spirit World nearing its conclusion, while the rest of his mind was occupied recounting the rest of his conversation with the Face Stealer; from what Koh told him after receiving the answer he wanted to the retrieval of the water clutched tightly in that jar in his hands and the Face Stealer's parting words for him.

"_Watch your back."_

Koh's very last parting words had particularly startled him. Tahno had questioned him about it, but Koh didn't give him anything further. The Face Stealer's laughter upon his departure still echoed in his ears as Appa covered the last stretch of their journey.


	30. Chapter 30

_It kind of perturbs me that iTunes hasn't put up the book 3 episodes yet. I'm finding it kind of strange that they took the whole series down for that matter. I gave up on cable a couple years ago, so iTunes is my LoK outlet (I can't cheat with this series). Ugh, I hope they get it up soon!_

_Anyways, end of personal rant. Hope the story's enjoyable so far, and that this will be a nice installment._

_Later!_

XoXoX

After Korra's hasty departure, Tenzin took to his glider once again to keep an eye on the current stats from the sky. He twisted his flight in intricate circles above the action below, observing how Iroh and the Lieutenant were barraging the machine with their different methods of attack. He then concentrated on his sister below, and noticed she needed his help.

Tenzin cut his altitude, dipping his flight at a downward angle, cutting it at the proper angle before landing. Tenzin quickly assessed Hiroshi's position—he had moved away from the upper cliff edge and was standing off to the side inside the Oasis, watching over his captives while his cohorts did all the physical labor—before stepping in to aide his sister. An air gust that sent Kya's two opponents back stepping got her attention. She smiled appreciatively at her brother.

"Tenzin—Where's Korra?" Kya was just noticing that the Avatar hadn't joined him.

_Kanani _and _Desna_ were back in action. Tenzin hastily responded while avoiding a water strike aimed at him. "She left—said she had a plan on how deal with our...spiritual pest problems." Kya looked at him quizzically, but didn't ask for clarification. She wasn't given much of an opportunity to do so, as they both were put on the defensive once again by their pair of waterbending opponents. "Let me know if you see an opening," Tenzin told her as he air blasted a water whip aimed right at his head. "We have to get those kids out of here."

"If I see one, I'll let you know, Ten," Kya responded, diverting a water attack. Tenzin grumbled a nanosecond, but didn't bother to give it much thought as the two siblings continued their elemental duel.

XoXoX

Korra managed to find sanctuary nearby where she remained undetected to Hiroshi's party—as well as her own rescue crew. She sat down on the icy surface with her legs crossed under her, and began meditating. Once she reached the desired state, she sought out her predecessor's consciousness, needing his advice on one thing. It wasn't long before she made the connection, and Aang was sitting across from her in her darkened mental pace.

"_The former waterbender will be returning shortly from the Spirit World,"_ Aang informed her immediately after his presence materialized.

"Then we'll have to make this real quick then," Korra replied. "I'd like to get Hiroshi's spirit aide turned against him before pretty boy returns, and I think I might know a way to convince him to do that—but I need to ask you this one thing first."

"_What do you need to ask, Korra?"_

"Is it possible for me to exit my body in Spirit form without resorting to traveling to the Spirit World first?" Korra asked him. "I figured the best way to communicate with that spirit, I believe Hiroshi called him _Bakeru_, was to try a tactic he suggested to me the first time he confronted me—in a form where we'd be on _equal _grounds."

"_It is_," Aang confirmed to her. Korra smiled appreciatively as Aang told her further details she felt were very useful to her, and then bid him farewell so she could do what needed to be done.

Not exiting her meditative state, Korra focused inward, trying to discover that portion of herself that was separate from her physical presence. When she found what she was looking for, she attempted to separate her spiritual portion from her physical body. She kept at it until she was no longer surrounded by darkness, but instead by cold stark reality that happened to be surrounding her physically. Korra stared at her physical vessel sitting there peacefully, marveling at her accomplishment a second before forcing herself away from it to set out towards her intended goal.

Her footsteps felt lighter as she walked across the ice towards the Oasis—towards the machine that housed Hiroshi's spiritual helper. She knew that Iroh and the Lieutenant wouldn't see her approach, but she also knew their strikes against the mecha wouldn't affect her either. Her main goal was getting past them anyways—to get past the external defenses and find a way inside.

Korra knew Hiroshi would spot her if she stepped too close to the rim of the Spirit Oasis, so she approached his mecha from the opposite side. She did so while the spirit was preoccupied by it's multiple assaults. She used that distraction to her advantage, and slipped inside the heart of the machine.

"_Bakeru—I think we need to have that talk you initially asked me for a couple months back."_

XoXoX

Iroh was hitting the mecha with blast after blast of strong lightning strikes. He had probably hit it fifty times already with little to no noticeable damage that he could see. He would keep it up as long as it took, but lightning-bending tends to be more taxing than regular firebending, and Iroh was starting to really feel the strain. Although the man didn't have a trustworthy past—Iroh was thankful to have the Lieutenant's help.

Iroh had started out making his strikes at a distance, but once Hiroshi disappeared back into the Spirit Oasis, he moved in closer to give each strike that extra added effect. It seemed he was making a little more headway at close range at least, and it wasn't quite as taxing either, to his relief.

Off to the side he saw the edge leading down into the Oasis. He observed the activity going on below, seeing the water getting shot back and forth between the two different opposing sides in various forms. Added to that Iroh noticed the occasional air strike, and occasionally caught sight of Tenzin helping his sister out when she was caught off guard.

Iroh was completely caught off guard when a tendril snaked itself around his waist and brought him up in midair alongside the now captive Lieutenant. As he struggled, Iroh heard cries of agony coming from down below. He looked down instantly, noticing that Tenzin and his sister were being forced down to their knees. They were groaning in pain throughout the whole process as they were further pressed against the ground. Iroh had to wonder what—

He then saw a pale woman with long flowing tresses making specific gestures with her hands—gestures suggesting they were the reason behind why the two siblings were agonizingly forced to the ground. Bloodbending; Iroh had only heard his grandfather tell him stories about how terrifying it was to witness feats of it firsthand. The stories didn't live up to the reality, as what he was seeing was more terrifying that anything grandpa Zuko told him.

Iroh took his eyes off Tenzin and Kya writhing in their agony when Hiroshi stepped up to the pale woman's side and looked down at the siblings. Iroh was a distance above the activity in the Oasis, and it was hard to make out details of facial expressions of the occupants of the spirits' abode, but he could have sworn he saw boredom crossing Hiroshi's face. _Boredom—_

"All this fighting is getting tedious," Hiroshi spoke all of a sudden, his voice unexpectedly loud—loud enough to be heard clearly by Iroh and his other confined company. The former businessman spoke the words with mock weariness as his eyes remained on the two pinned down siblings before him. Hiroshi then met his eyes with Iroh's before adding. "It's time to bring a permanent end to this—starting with the firebender up there. Bakeru, can you get everything ready internally and bring me up there?"

Without a spoken word, the spirit complied with the former businessman's wishes and let down a tendril to aid Hiroshi to his intended goal.

XoXoX

"_Bakeru—I think we need to have that talk you initially asked me for a couple months back."_

Korra heard an aggravated grumble echoing all around her inside that tiny compartment before it was followed up with an almost familiar ethereal voice. "That was never my intention when I initially confronted you. I only said those things to lure you away. I believe we're beyond discussing this matter now."

"That's where I think you're wrong," Korra responded. "Look—I know you're mad about what my predecessor did to your territory, but I can't go back and fix the damage like you want me to. I can't change what was inevitable."

"Sweet talking won't change my opinion on the matter," Bakeru retorted crossly. "You predecessor couldn't even bother to inform me of the changes he was going to make first—and he never even took into account the level of damage _he_ was going to inflict on _my_ territory! The whole valley nestled at the other side of the mountains along the waterfront of the bay named after the Moon Spirit—it only took your predecessor under a century to completely devastate that region. The job of the Avatar is to protect the natural balance, not _disrupt it!"_

"The responsibility of the Avatar is to keep the balance _period!_" Korra shot back. "Look—after the war, things couldn't go back to the way they were before. They tried that, and it only led to the brink of another war! Change is inevitable, and you've gotta learn to deal with it. I deal with it _every day_ in my _own_ life—and so can you."

She looked around the compartment inside Hiroshi's mecha, sensing the malevolent energy of the spirit all around her. She forced herself to remain rational, even as that sensation tried overtaking that part of her. "That doesn't mean we can't try and reach some kind of compromise. I know you're mad at my predecessor for what he did to your territory, but revenge isn't the answer. Finding a better solution—that is. If you'll give me a chance to try and make up for the mistakes you feel Aang made in regards to you, I'll do my best to help you out!" Korra then added in a matter of fact sort of way, "And, for the record—were you even aware of the fact that Aang didn't _know_ that it was your territory in the first place? That he wasn't even _aware_ of your presence there?"

An unsettling wave of energy swept over her spiritual presence, and she got the sense of the mecha physically rocking in response to what she just said. To validate that feeling, the next words that Bakeru spoke sounded uncertain, alarmed even.

"How could Avatar Aang not realize my presence? That his manmade urban monstrosity was built at the heart of my territory?" Bakeru sounded clearly puzzled. "Avatar Aang was one of the more spiritual of the more recent Avatars. He surely should have known I was there; he probably was just too enwrapped in his plans to make the changes he did to even care about the damage he'd do—and couldn't undo."

"Isn't it possible Aang was so overwhelmed with all the work he had to do after the hundred year war that he just—didn't have the time or mind to notice?" Korra pointed out to the spirit. "Aang wasn't even my age when the hundred year concluded, and I can understand how overwhelming a task like that was from my own experiences. Look—if you were so disgruntled by what Aang and his friends were doing to your territory, why didn't you just confront him about it? Why'd you wait till now to express your anger over it?"

Korra could tell her words troubled the spirit. She could feel it in the vibrations in the air around her. "Look—why don't I get Aang for you, and you can personally talk to him about it? Maybe it'll help clear up some of your issues for you." She took on a sympathetic note when she added. "I know you're angry about your territory being _destroyed,_ but—if you'll give me the chance—I'll do my best to try and make it up to you." She paused before adding, "Do you think we can try and do that before Sato asks you to do something that could lead to irrevocable damage?"

"Send your predecessor to speak with me, and then we'll see."

XoXoX

Bolin wandered the unfamiliar grounds of the palace, trying to figure out which way he should go. Not long before he heard the beginnings of action taking place elsewhere, but he couldn't seem to pinpoint the exact location, or the right direction towards his party. He kept wandering in search of a direction to go, until he heard voices coming from a nearby hall.

Bolin quietly tiptoed to the bend in the hall near where the voices originating, carefully peering around the corner to spy out the sources. Standing no more than two body lengths away were Eska and Chief Unalaq. Bolin almost enthusiastically revealed his location, but stopped himself when he noticed something peculiar about the tone of their voices, and their conversation. Their voices sounded—heavier than usual—

"I'm not gonna lose the princess this time. If that damned other spirit comes back to fight me—I'll be better prepared to fight back this time." Bolin cringed at Eska's unusually masculine tone. He slinked against the bend as he continued to listen.

Chief Unalaq responded gruffly, "Let's get back to Hiroshi. He informed me that a rescue party's just arrived, and he'd like our assistance in putting a stop to it."

"Let's go make sure that Hiroshi's able to succeed with his plans so he can punish the Moon Spirit." Bolin spied around the corner in time to see the unnatural grin sprout on Eska's face. Unalaq then said something indecipherable, and the two were on the move. Bolin was about to follow when shouting coming from down the hall in the opposite direction distracted him. Bolin forgot about the possessed chief and his daughter for a moment, and ran off to investigate the shouting.

XoXoX

Appa brought the ex-bender as far as he could take him. Upon reaching the spirit gate Tahno saw the last Avatar waiting there for him. As he disembarked from the back of Aang's skybison, Aang gave the ex-waterbender a hand.

"Are you ready to head back?" Aang asked him.

Tahno nodded. "Definitely."

"What did Koh have to say to you?" Aang asked him. Tahno explained the details about the danger to the Moon Spirit's life, and the physical manifestations that Hiroshi's cohorts could transition towards if the moment grew dire enough to resort to it. He left out the more personal details in his explanation, watching the previous Avatar's reaction as it grew grimmer with each detail.

"Do you think you can fill Korra in on the details if I don't get the chance to? You might be able to get the word to her faster than I can, and Hiroshi might keep me too busy to remember once I get back there," Tahno inquired.

"I'll inform her," Aang replied. "Get going. Your time is running short. It's about midday back there."

Tahno gave a nod and a faint smile. "Will do. Thanks for lending me the use of your skybison." Aang watched as he passed through the gate and back into his original realm.

XoXoX

Korra left the inner compartment of the mecha and Bakeru behind her, heading back towards where her physical vessel waited for her. She reentered her body once she reached it, but didn't plan to exit her meditative state until she got in contact with Aang.

"Aang—Bakeru requested your presence. He said he might change his mind if you clear things up with him personally."

"_I'll do that,"_ Aang assured her. "Before the former waterbender departed from the Spirit World, he sent me to inform you of some details he learned during his visit with Koh."

"Tell me about it."

Aang told her about the information that Tahno learned about from Koh.

XoXoX

Bolin heard it come again, louder this time. He ran towards it, sensing something familiar about that voice somehow. As he rounded one particular corner, he realized why that was. Shaozu was restrained by one of Lin's officers, one of the officer's metallic coils ensnaring the ex-firebender by the waist, and the two were at odds with each other verbally.

"I swear I'm not possessed!" Shaozu was shouting at the officer. "Do my eyes look clouded over to you?"

"Why would Hiroshi let you escape then?" The officer questioned him.

"I'm unarmed and I don't have my firebending, so he probably thought I didn't stand a chance against him!" Shaozu retorted. "And the bastard's probably right about that part at least. But if you'd just let me go, take me to your superior—and _then _head back to the Spirit Oasis so we can get those other two outta there before Hiroshi uses them—"

"I heard shouting all the way down the hall," Lin's perturbed voice brought the _interrogation_ to an abrupt halt, and all attention towards her as she rounded a different corner from Bolin. "What's going on?" She looked from her officer to the former firebender, and then towards Bolin, who she caught of the corner of her eye. "I thought you were going to seek out Tenzin and Kya. Why aren't you with them?"

"I kinda got lost, and then heard shouting and stumbled across these two," Bolin replied. He remembered something else he witnessed before Shaozu's shouting distracted him. "I spotted Eska in the hall with the Chief only a few moments ago, and I think she's been repossessed."

"Did you overhear anything?" Lin was looking at him seriously. He nodded.

"They said they're gonna go help Hiroshi harm the Moon Spirit—something like that," Bolin said. He looked at Lin's officer. "I don't think Shaozu's possessed. He's right—his eyes aren't glossed over. I know what a possession looks like—my bro was possessed before Hiroshi stripped his bending from him."

"Speaking of your bro and that bastard Hiroshi, I'm sure that he's not gonna keep his word once he gets what he wants outta Tahno, so we should hurry and take Hiroshi out before Tahno returns," Shaozu said.

"Do you think you could take us to the Spirit Oasis if I asked you to lead us there?" Lin asked him.

"Tell your officer to let me go, and I think I can," Shaozu replied. Lin looked to her officer, giving him a nonverbal cue. Shaozu was abruptly released a moment later. He rubbed at his wrists a few moments before quietly leading the party forward. Shaozu looked around uncertainly from time to time, trying to recall the details from when he escaped. Continuing explosions helped to lead the way. The four of them could hear the action set into motion before they reached the path leading to the Spirit Oasis. All the explosions suddenly ceased as they reached the doorway leading inwardly towards the spirits' abode.

Bolin was walking beside Shaozu as they were making the last leg of the trip. Shaozu was saying, "Hey, did you know your brother and my friend—" but he stopped abruptly as they caught their first glimpse of what was currently taking place in the Oasis firsthand. The four of them, both the two young men and Lin and her officer alike, just stood there in astonishment, staring ahead with their mouths agape.

XoXoX

Tahno almost forgot that he would have to travel through water on the other side of the Spirit Gate leading back towards the Oasis. The abrupt transition from eerie, ethereal air of the Spirit World to water of his own reality almost overwhelmed him to the point of non-reaction. A voice he heard in his head got him motivated to start swimming.

The ex-waterbender was reaching the end of his breath-holding limit when his head popped up above the pond's surface. He struggled to take in a breath while his ears were overwhelmed with sound from the environment around him. After being exposed to the constant rush of water against his eardrums, his hearing outside the water was garbled at first, mingling together the sounds of human vocals with other environmental noises. Finally, as he was swimming towards shore, his hearing cleared—and Hiroshi's voice rang loud and clear.

"It's time to bring a permanent end to this—starting with the firebender up there. Bakeru, can you get everything ready internally and bring me up there?"

_Firebender? _At first believing Hiroshi meant Mako, Tahno had to look up and see what was going on. He was surprised to see General Iroh suspended some distance up, trapped in a tendril coming from a source high above. He quickly looked around the Oasis to see that Iroh didn't come alone, that Tenzin and Kya were there as well—that his mother had the two pinned painfully to the ground. His eyes went up quickly to see that Iroh wasn't alone up there after all, that the _Lieutenant_ was trapped up there alongside the General—

And then Hiroshi's words again clicked in the ex-waterbender's mind. Tahno quickly swam the rest of the distance towards the pond's edge and climbed out of Tui and La's abode, hoping that announcing his presence might buy him some time.

XoXoX

"I should've recalled the fact that Bakeru's company back at the Southern Water Tribe festival were involved in this somehow—that they were the malevolent manifestations of Hiroshi's spirit cronies," Korra said to her predecessor.

"_Tahno also informed me that Koh warned him that the Moon Spirit is—"_

Before she had a chance to finish her conversation with her predecessor, she was ripped away from it and abruptly brought back to her physical consciousness. The effect of her abrupt conscious return was mentally jarring, and it took her a few moments to recover and realize what had happened. She at first suspected that her own consciousness, or her physical body, were the culprit, but when she looked up, her eyes wandered over the garb of a particularly familiar Northern Water Tribe spirit.

"Tarrlok, what was that for?" Korra exclaimed, perturbed. "I was in the middle of a conversation with—"

"There's no time to argue with me, Avatar Korra, There's trouble back at the Spirit Oasis," Tarrlok interrupted her. "The former waterbender just returned. Hiroshi's got Yakone using his mother to restrain Tenzin and his sister with bloodbending, and my brother's having a hard time trying to break our father's hold on the former waterbender's mother. If we don't act soon—Hiroshi will get what he wants from that young man—as well as the Moon Spirit."

"The Moon Spirit?" Korra looked at him oddly.

"Noatak learned that Hiroshi's going to target the Moon Spirit's life for his procedure," Tarrlok told her. "I believe he plans to use the Moon Spirit, and possibly the Ocean Spirit as well— both for his debending goal as well as to restore his wife's life." Korra's eyes widened. "So if you don't want to see history repeated, I suggest—hey!" She was on her feet and running in an instant, hardly acknowledging a surprised ex-Councilman who's shouting voice was growing fainter the further she got. The only thing on her mind was getting back in time to prevent the unthinkable.

XoXoX

"I'm back, and I've got your damn water," Tahno shouted irritably at the former businessman. Hiroshi was about to be lifted by a tendril waiting for him, but the ex-bender's voice halted his ascent. Hiroshi gave the spirit aiding him a command to set him back down, and an instant later, he was standing face to face with the ex-waterbender.

"Good," Hiroshi held his hand up. "Hand it over."

"Tell your spirit to release General Iroh up there, as well as let Kya, Tenzin, Mako and Asami go, and have Yakone dispossess my mother first, and then I'll hand it over," Tahno replied.

"That wasn't a part of the agreement, and it doesn't look like you're in much of a position to bargain with me," Hiroshi looked up and then around. Tahno's eyes followed.

"Yeah—I probably don't, but you need this damn water to pull off your _ultimate goal_—right?" Tahno questioned him. "Would you be able to finish what you've started _without_ it—huh?"

Hiroshi fumed in response; if it were possible, Tahno probably would have seen steam coming from the former businessman's ears as his fury broiled within. "_Give it over—you pathetic little punk._"

"Not until you agree to my terms," Tahno replied, barely keeping his calm. "You want the water, or do you just want to waste the rest of the day standing here throwing words back and forth?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I know you're just as pressed for time as I am. You have until midnight to pull it all off if you're going to succeed, right?" He looked skyward, noticing the sun was halfway into its daily descent. "Looks like half your day's wasted already, so you better hurry."

Hiroshi turned and walked away from the ex-waterbender, passing by Tenzin and Kya before moving closer to where Asami and Mako currently were. "I could just end this pathetic street rat's life right in front of you and my daughter, and then have Yakone twist those two's bodies—" He indicated Tenzin and Kya. "—with your mother's bending until it kills them, and then move on to the firebender and the traitor up there. I could then move on to the chief, his children...and then...I could have your mother do the same thing to you after they're all finished with. I'll allow your mother enough time to grieve over what she's done afterwards. And then, once I'm done with your mother..." He let it hang, letting the ex-bender draw his own conclusion. "That way, when the Avatar returns to _finish up _here, she won't have anyone to aid _her _when I finish_ her_ off." Hiroshi looked at the ex-waterbender with disturbing joy lingering in his gaze. "Unless you want that to happen, I suggest you give in and _give me_ _that water __**right now**_."

"No." Tahno had to force the answer out, the former businessman's words almost getting to him enough to comply. But he stood his ground, refusing to give in to Hiroshi, knowing that _everything_ would be worse than Hiroshi's claims if he did. "You're either going to have to come over here and get it off me, or—" A thought occurred to him. He took a few steps back until he was right beside Tui and La's pond, pulling the small jar out from where he'd stashed it, holding it aloft so Hiroshi could see it. "—go fetch it yourself."

Tahno eased his grip on the bottle, ready to drop it into the pond, when it was unexpectedly knocked out of his hands. He watched as it flew through the air, about to give chase and fetch it from wherever it landed when a tendril of water blocked his path. While the ex-bender struggled against the tendril as it wound itself around him and froze him in place, Desna calmly approached where the bottle had fallen and picked it up.

"I'll have to thank this boy's cousin for not restoring your bending to you. You're easier to deal with without it." _Desna _held the bottle up in Tahno's face, taunting him with it before calmly taking it over to the former businessman. He was about to hand it off to Hiroshi when he started twitching, and it fell from his grip.

While Desna fell to his knees and brought his hands to his head, Hiroshi hastily bent over to retrieve the fallen bottle. Asami reached out and grabbed it before he could. She gripped it firmly while getting unsteadily to her feet, a snarl escaping from her father as she bolted away from him with it in hand. She released a startled gasp when Hiroshi managed to get a firm grip on her ankle, dragging her down to the ground desperately as she tried to break free and scramble away. He had an iron grip on her ankle; so all her struggling got her nowhere. But she kept on trying regardless.

"This is the absolute _last time_ you'll ever defy me!" Hiroshi seethed as he dragged her closer. Asami dug her fingers into the grass and the soil underneath in her attempts to thwart his efforts. He slowly was gaining the advantage as each moment passed.

"Let her go right now, Sato!" an authoritative voice brought both the father and daughter's struggle against one another to a halt. The hesitation gave Asami enough of an opportunity to break from her father's grip.

Tahno was watching all this from his restrained position; observing the arrival of the metalbending chief of police, Lin Beifong, along with one of her officers, Bolin, and Shaozu. It had been Lin's voice that caused Hiroshi to hesitate, and gave Asami a chance to escape. As Asami was attempting to escape, Lin and her officer hurried over to break the ex-waterbender free from his icy confinements. Meanwhile, Desna was howling painfully with his hands clutching the sides of his head. While Lin was deconstructing Tahno's icy _prison_ with her metal coils with help from her officer, Bolin and Shaozu were rushing over to help Asami out as Hiroshi got to his feet and dusted himself off.

Tahno's eyes were on his mother while Lin and her officer broke him out. _Kanani_ appeared to be preoccupied by two different forces—the struggle to keep her two bloodbent victims pinned on the ground and a war waging internally. He gasped in surprise as he fell quickly to his knees when the two metalbenders managed to free him. The ex-bender's focus on his possessed mother was lost as he was drawn towards where Mako lay. Without informing the two metalbenders of his actions, the ex-bender bolted in that direction. He reached the unconscious firebender's side, and was beginning to shake him gently as Asami was about to reach company with Bolin and Shaozu.

"Bo, Shao—" Asami let out a sharp cry as she was grabbed from behind by a watery tendril. As Bolin and Shaozu grew closer to where she was, they too got caught up in the same watery trap Asami fell victim to. A moment later, the trio was showcased in a structure made of ice.

Their captor was none other than _Unalaq_, the chief of the Northern Water Tribe; he loomed over the trio, looking at them with a twisted smirk, satisfied at his handiwork. "I never expected waterbending could actually be fun," he mused.

Tahno ceased his efforts at rousing Mako when the combination of a sharp _zip,_ sudden startled outcries and a harsh _thud_ alarmingly drew his attention away from the firebender. He looked up in time to see his mother disarm the two still-standing metalbenders and bring them to the ground beside Tenzin and Kya with force. He looked around, taking in the reality of the situation around him fully for the first time. Beside the two metalbenders being held down along with the siblings, his friend, Mako's brother and Asami were now also incapacitated, and the firebending general—along with the Lieutenant—were still helplessly being held aloft by the spirit high above. He was coming to the realization that he was the only one still able to freely move about, and there wasn't much he could do on his own.

_Damn it—where's the Avatar when she's needed—_

"It's time to bring this little charade to an end and get my plans set in motion," Hiroshi's voice drew the ex-bender's attention towards the former businessman. Hiroshi had walked calmly towards where his daughter was being held captive, giving _Unalaq_—whom Hiroshi addressed as _Zhao—_the order to free Asami's hand enough to retrieve the bottle from her grip. After Zhao complied, Hiroshi took the bottle from his daughter. He then looked over in the ex-bender's direction. "Bring me that fish."

"Yeah—I was just getting to that," an eerily familiar voice spoke up abruptly. "That's two losses against you," that same voice then taunted the ex-waterbender from behind. Tahno turned abruptly to come face to face with the current water tribe princess, Eska. There was something spooky about her essence, and Tahno knew beyond reasonable doubt that it wasn't that sense he'd gotten from his first impression of her. She had this self-satisfied, smug smirk that looked very unnatural on her face, her voice sounded brusquer than he recalled, and her powder blue eyes—

_Eska _moved from behind towards the edge of the pond, getting down on her knees beside it. She stirred the water with one finger, that self-satisfied smirk remaining as she did so. And then she looked back at him with glazed powder blue eyes, and said; "It's time for me to settle my score with the Moon Spirit."

Tahno clenched his fists as he recognized Eska's possessor. "That damn water tribe guy that forced Mako up onstage with that bastard Hiroshi back in Republic City—"

"The name's Hahn," _Eska_ curtly cut him off. "And it was my pleasure to possess that stinking street rat of yours if it gave me the opportunity to accomplish this." _Eska'_s fingers danced a particular array, and Tahno watched, entranced, as a wealth of water rose from the pond—along with the white koi that inhabited it. Hahn got Eska into a standing position, bring that spirit encasing water column up further and further, keeping it suspended until _Eska_ produced a large cloth bag. Tahno noticed the bag had an inner lining to it, probably to waterproof it to prevent leaks, he could only surmise. _Eska _opened it and then deposited the spirit—water and all—inside it. She then tied the bag up and approached the former businessman with it. "What now, boss?"

"Find a way to get yourself up there with Bakeru. I'm going to have all the benders present brought up there in a few moments. I want to get everything set in motion, so meet me up there with that fish," Hiroshi informed him. "And make sure that fish is secure in that bag—and that it's not in danger for the time being. I need it alive and intact up until it's fulfilled its purpose—so _don't_ let any of the water in that bag seep out." _Eska_ gave a nod, and then did as the former businessman suggested. Tahno could only watch as the Hahn-possessed princess used her waterbending to bring her up to the cliff ledge via a risen column of water. Hiroshi was addressing _Kanani_ while _Eska_ was on the move. "Can you knock them out with your bloodbending, Yakone?"

Yakone gave Kanani's face an unnatural grin. "It would be my pleasure."

"Good—get them all unconscious and then bring them up there," Hiroshi instructed the former crimelord. To Unalaq, "Keep an eye on the street rat and the two Wolfbats punks down here while I'm busy up there. If any of them cause any trouble—kill them." As an after thought, he turned his attention back to _Kanani_. "Bring my _daughter _up there with the benders, Yakone. I'm going to need her once I'm through with them. Keep her alert though—she won't be much use to me if she's unconscious."

"Will do," Yakone replied. He was already at work on his four current bloodbending victims, their cries echoing horribly throughout the Oasis's expanse as he painfully twisted them until they were rendered unconscious. He then released Bolin from his icy confines and did the same thing with him while Asami and Shaozu watched in horror. Throughout all his actions, Yakone had Kanani wearing a vicious grin. "Oh—how I missed being able to do this!"

Tahno snarled at the sickening glee that exuded from his own mother's stolen voice, but that was about all he was limited to while Yakone continued to finish the task Hiroshi instructed him to do. He could only watch as Bakeru aided his _mother_ in getting the unconscious lot up and out of the Spirit Oasis along with a violently struggling Asami, and Hiroshi hitched a ride up to his mecha with help from Bakeru.

The ex-bender was silently wondering where Korra had run off to while he watched. He quickly looked to Shaozu before kneeling by Mako's side once more. While he was trying to shake the firebender awake, his attention was suddenly diverted by Desna's unexpected outcry.

XoXoX

Korra could see the behemoth mecha in the distance. As she grew closer, she noticed activity occurring near the base of the cliff, increasing her pace when she saw Hiroshi standing beside the machine with her friends lying on the ground, unconscious beside him, and _Kanani_ holding Asami hostage. She was abruptly halted in mid-progression, letting a startled gasp as a water whip suddenly grabbed her and knocked her from her feet. She fell behind the cover of an ice formation, where she found herself confronted by a young teenage waterbender and Tenzin's skybison.

Korra almost didn't recognize the girl, but her memory recalled the young waterbender's presence at the demonstration back in Republic City. "What're you doing out here—Kami, was it?"

"The girl's presence isn't important right now—approaching the current situation with Sato is," Kami replied, her voice unusually deep.

Korra then realized why. "Tarrlok—why are you possessing that girl, and why'd you stop me? I thought you were trying to help me put a stop Hiroshi's plan!"

"I am, but it isn't good to rush into the situation without working out some kind of proper approach first." Tarrlok informed her via Kami's lips. "Sato's got Tenzin, his sister, and the two metalbenders along with the young earthbender rendered unconscious while he's got your cousin holding the Moon Spirit captive. He's also got Miss Sato being held hostage along with them. If you move in too quickly, you might startle them enough to do something drastic, which could endanger the spirit's life—and those of your friends as well."

Korra acknowledged the direness of the situation. "Yeah, I get your point. So—what can I do about it then?"

"I'll try and distract Yakone while you tackle Hiroshi and his spirit," Tarrlok told her. "Try and find a way to separate the spirit from the machine—we need to get my brother's former second in command inside that machine in order to completely disable it."

"That's why they dragged him along," Korra noted. "I'll see what I can do. My predecessor should currently be having a chat with Bakeru, the spirit possessing Hiroshi's machine. I'm hoping Aang can persuade Bakeru to withdraw his aide to Hiroshi."

"I'll look into that while you distract Sato. Noatak's currently making every effort to free your cousin Desna from Ozai's possession, and he's hoping to utilize him to deal with the spirit possessing your uncle, the chief," Tarrlok replied. "Also, one thing: Hiroshi's got a small jar in his possession that is important you get away from him. It's the water Sato made the former waterbender fetch from the Spirit World, and not only is it important to get it away from Sato to keep him from accomplishing his goals—the ex-waterbender's going to need it to save your firebender's life. Also, another thing you should know: be certain to restore that young man's waterbending before midnight. Both boys' lives are depending on it."

"You mean that that energy transference—that it's got Mako connected—?" Korra exclaimed. She didn't complete her comment when she saw the confused expression suddenly cross the Kami's face.

"I feel woozy," Kami stated.

"You gonna faint?" Korra asked her, understanding that Tarrlok had dispossessed the girl.

"I'll be fine," Kami insisted.

"Did Tenzin and Kya bring any other backup?" Korra asked her.

"Commander Bumi brought his vessel—we arrived on board it," Kami replied.

"Can you take Oogi back there and inform Bumi about what's going on?" Korra asked her. "We might need to get reinforcements in here from the looks of it."

"I'd rather help you," Kami protested.

"We need reinforcements—and nobody else is available to do it, so you're the one who's going to have to," Korra informed her. "Take Oogi and go inform Bumi about what's going on." Kami looked ready to protest, but kept her mouth shut. She headed back to the skybison, got on his back, and clumsily took off on him. Korra watched their flight a moment before directing her attention back towards Hiroshi's activities. She cautiously watched what was going on, trying to come up with a way to approach the situation with as minimal a chance of endangering her friends' lives as possible.


	31. Chapter 31

Asami helplessly watched her father get everything prepared for his plans, glaring at him with a daggered gaze. She could barely move; Yakone made certain to that. About all she could do was operate her facial expressions and speak.

"Do you really think mother would love you the same way she did if you manage to revive her?" Asami questioned Hiroshi. "I don't believe that she will ever approve of what you've become. Even if you manage to exchange my life for hers, she'll never accept you back after what you've done, especially for her sake."

Hiroshi stopped making his preparations and turned to face her. "You were too young when your mother passed to understand how she would feel," He informed her. "Your mother would _want_ me to seek justice for her death by taking care of the perpetrators."

"Asami's right," Tahno shouted from down below, cutting Asami's retort off before she could get it out. "I had a chat with Mrs. Sato not too long ago, and she told me she didn't like what you've become—that she's proud of Asami for standing by her convictions and not joining you in your cause for vengeance. Even if you got her back, you bastard—your wife's never going to love you like she did before you became like this. This whole thing—it's just a lost cause for you, so you might as well quit while you still have a chance to make up for all the shit you've done."

"Zhao—shut that little punk up down there!" Hiroshi shouted down into the Spirit Oasis. He turned to his daughter with a malicious stare. "I don't care what you or that pathetic little punk down there claim—I'm going to revive your mother _and_ accomplish the goal I've set out to do for her sake—and nothing you say or do is going to stop me!"

"Well—I'm not about to let you disrupt the balance of the world to exact you revenge against benders, Sato." Asami felt relief wash over her as she saw Korra standing there, battle ready and confident. "Pretty boy down there is right—revenge is only going to gain you a lot of pain and misery."

Hiroshi growled, but attempted to ignore the Avatar's presence. "Bakeru, are you about ready to set things in motion?"

"I believe—" Bakeru's response was insinuated with a sharp, pained cry, followed by a couple of thuds. Hiroshi turned quickly to see Korra free his spirit aide's two captives with a couple decisive waterbending assaults. She inserted a couple jabs of fire to ensure their freedom, and she got it.

"Get them!" Hiroshi demanded from Yakone, who was busy using Kanani in an attempt to restrain the three threats. The Lieutenant quickly dodged out of sight and avoided Yakone's wrath, while Iroh caught the full brunt of it. Korra ended up struggling against it as well, but somehow managed to shake off the effects—by entering the Avatar State.

"Your need for vengeance is going to throw the world into chaos," Korra said, her voice deeper and resonating. Her eyes were aglow, and the air around her rustled and crackled with life. "I don't want to resort to using bending to restrain you, Hiroshi, but if you keep this up—I might have to. As the Avatar, I can't allow you to complete your goal. The cost if you succeed—it's too high."

"I don't care if I bring on the end of the world in order to get what I want," Hiroshi snarled at her. "If ending the world is the only way to bring about an end to bending—I'll be happy to do it!"

"The end...of the world?" Bakeru exclaimed, baffled.

"If you follow through with Hiroshi's plan—it could lead to something like that," Korra explained to the startled spirit. "Besides the fact that bringing somebody back from the dead could have bad consequences in itself, if you're gonna use the Moon Spirit—and, from what I've heard, the Ocean Spirit as well—to accomplish both _that _goal and Hiroshi's other one to become a one man debending machine—you'll probably end up killing them both and throw things horribly off balance. So much so that it'll be irrevocable; I can't have that, and I'd hope that you wouldn't either."

Korra forced Yakone back a few steps with a powerful air gust, off-guarding the possessed woman enough to release the two bloodbent captives. Once she was released from Yakone's bloodbending grips, Asami got to her feet and made a mad dash towards where Tenzin and company were passed out, making an effort to try and revive them, starting with Bolin. While Yakone stumbled and fell, the young Avatar approached Hiroshi and his mecha, her presence increasingly intimidating. As she grew closer, she registered Hiroshi shouting at Bakeru to take her out, but to no avail. Korra wasn't paying attention to the former businessman, however; she was solely focused on the spirit-possessed machine.

"As the representative of our two worlds, I can't allow you to help Hiroshi out with his plan, Bakeru. I'll do whatever I can to make up for my predecessor's past mistakes and my own, but first you need to let go of your need for vengeance—and dispossess this machine," Korra spoke in that same deep resonating voice, eyes illuminated in an ivory light. "This isn't just about bringing an end to Hiroshi's scheme and saving the world—for me...it's personal. I'm trying to save the lives of the people I care about. Isn't that what your need for retribution has been about this whole time—protecting what's most important to you?"

There was a long pause before Bakeru replied shakily. "Yes."

"Then let go of your anger—and dispossess the machine so it can be destroyed," Korra told him. All the while Hiroshi was shouting desperately at Bakeru not to listen to her.

But Bakeru's next answer proved the former businessman's words were said in vain. "I will withdraw myself from this situation and let you clean up the mess that has been created here for now, Avatar Korra. If you are ever in need of my assistance any time in the process—I'll be around."

Korra's serious expression lightened. "Thanks."

"I expect you to uphold your promise—or there will be consequences."

"I will, Bakeru." Korra promised.

While the Avatar was occupied with Hiroshi, Iroh got to his feet. After brushing slush from his clothing he tested out a theory to see if the spirit really had vacated the mecha. Iroh threw a strong bolt of lightning directly at the mecha. When an incandescent shield didn't come up to absorb the shock of the blow, he knew that the spirit had indeed vacated the premises of the machine. He shouted to the Lieutenant, and Amon's former second in command got to work prying open the upper hatch to enter the interior compartment of the machine.

While the Lieutenant was breaking into the mecha and Korra was busy confronting the former businessman, Tahno's shouting could be heard from below. "Whatever you're doing up there—keep it up. Hiroshi's spirit cronies down here seemed to have lost the ability to control their possessed victims!"

"Hey, pretty boy—are you okay down there? How's Mako holding up?" Korra shouted back, keeping her eye on Hiroshi. While waiting for a reply, Korra was relieved when her uncle and cousin Desna joined her.

A short instant after her relatives arrived came Tahno's response. "Dealing with some minor bruises the chief inflicted on me, but I'm otherwise intact. Mako's still out of it—but not dead yet."

"I'll be down there to help you out as soon as I get that bottle of water out of Hiroshi's grasp for you," Korra responded, focusing her attention on the former businessman then. Chief Unalaq and Desna managed to confine the former businessman in ice while she and the ex-bender were conversing. She approached him, coming face to face with the former businessman. "It's over, Hiroshi, so you can hand over the water you made pretty boy fetch. He's gonna need it."

"Just because you managed to talk Bakeru into believing your nonsense, that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on accomplishing at least one of my goals," Hiroshi grated. "I'll find another spirit who can help me resurrect my wife in the Spirit World—and maybe even pull off my other goal. As long as I'm able to—I will get _what I want!"_ He turned his head, eyes going wild as he shouted, "Yakone—get that fish and take care of this situation right now!"

Assuming that when her three relatives had been dispossessed with Bakeru's departure that Kanani had been as well, neither Korra, Unalaq, or Desna took into account that Yakone very much still had possession over the woman, and that he was ready to aide Hiroshi for that matter. So they weren't prepared for it when Yakone twisted their bodies using the water in their very cells to temporarily incapacitate them. They heard a startled cry come from Eska as the bag containing the Moon Spirit was yanked from her hands and she was knocked to the side.

Iroh attempted to intervene when Hiroshi grabbed his daughter, who was still kneeling by Bolin's side, but Yakone held him back as well. The Lieutenant, hearing the commotion going on outside the mecha it appeared, emerged from inside the machine to provide aide in subduing Hiroshi with a jolt of his kali sticks. Hiroshi dodged the strike agilely, his daughter's wrist still firmly in his grip as he ran closer to the cliff's edge near the meandering waterfall that fell into the channel of the Oasis below.

The kali sticks' electricity left a dark mark on the cliffside where Hiroshi had been previously. Before the strike could hit home, the former businessman jumped from the ledge. Yakone made one last maneuver to disable the Lieutenant temporarily before following in Hiroshi's footsteps, allowing the two to make their escape with Asami and the captive spirit in hand.

XoXoX

Shaozu was standing by when Hiroshi's command to his cronies possessing the chief and his son came down from above to shut his friend up. The former firebender noticed the jubilant glee manage its way into Unalaq's eyes at the request, not saying a word when he struck at Tahno with a precisely aimed water whip. Shaozu hurried over when his friend was knocked from his feet to the ground, barely avoiding facing the same fate in the process. He knelt by Tahno's side, examining him for serious injury.

"Shao, I'm okay, so you can back up a little," Tahno insisted as he sat up. He pressed his hand to his forehead, shaking the disorientation from his mind before getting to his feet. Shaozu watched and listened as his friend exchanged words with those above, catching the signals of some kind of skirmish going on out of sight. He looked over quickly when he heard Unalaq moaning, turning his attention that way just in time to see the chief sink to his knees and press his large palms to his face.

His son was immediately rushing to his father's side; Shaozu hadn't been paying much attention to the young man, but he was coming to the realization that the boy had been dispossessed from his possessor for a while now. The young man was kneeling by his father's side, asking him if he was okay over and over until he got a response. Unalaq, after taking his time, responded to his son reassuringly and then got to his feet, looking at the two Wolfbats teammates directly.

"I apologize for whatever those spirits forced me or my children to do to you both. It was beyond our control, and now that needs to be alleviated." Shaozu watched with awe as the chief and his son departed the Spirit Oasis by way of their waterbending. He then was looking at his friend again.

"Hey Tahno, there's something I've been meaning to ask about—" A couple sharp cries and an explosion from above cut him off in mid-thought, bringing both he and Tahno's eyes upwards in alarm, just in time to see Hiroshi jumping from the ledge with Asami, and Kanani providing a safe watery landing. They made a landing in the channel surrounding the spiritual island, with Kanani helping Hiroshi get his daughter and a bag he'd dragged with him out of the water. Off to his side, Shaozu heard his friend gritting his teeth. He looked over to notice Tahno clenching his fists angrily.

"Sato, you damn bastard—game's over, and there's no chance of winning now, so hand that water over to me right now! And Yakone—leave my mother now, or I'll make sure you regret it!" Tahno shouted in Hiroshi's direction.

Kanani was glowering at her son as she got to her feet; a frown severely etched in her brow. Without a word, she made a motion with her hands, which caused both Wolfbats to writhe in agony before they were forced to the ground harshly. And just when the pain was increasing, it abruptly ceased, and Kanani was the one crying out in pain.

While the two Wolfbats teammates helped each other to their feet, they looked over towards Kanani, grimacing as she howled and crashed down onto her knees. Hiroshi was standing by, watching and frowning, his Equalist gloved hand tightly grasping Asami's arm while the other held the bag. Asami brought her free hand up to her mouth, eyes wide in horror.

"Stop messing with me, you pathetic excuses for sons!" Kanani howled loudly, creating a sickening echo throughout the Oasis. "Get out, get out—_get out!_" She emitted one more lengthy growl before she slumped to the ground. Shaozu had to fight to keep up with Tahno's pace as the former waterbender raced over towards his mother's side.

Shaozu heard noise coming from above as Tahno was preoccupied while tending to his disoriented mother. He looked up to see Korra coming in for a landing, a gust of air swirling about her as she became earthbound. Her eyes were drawn their direction, fire burning in the depths of her ocean shallows. And then something changed about her that had the former firebender startled—until he turned to see what caused the change.

While he had been preoccupied by the Avatar's arrival, Shaozu had taken his attention off his friend, and that had been a fatal error. Whilst Tahno was busily tending to Kanani, Hiroshi was moving swiftly—too swiftly for either Shaozu or Asami to react and step in to stop the former businessman.

Hiroshi had set aside the bag with the Moon Spirit and released Asami's arm, leaving one open for occupation with something else. Two things registered in that moment as Hiroshi pushed forward—the sound of a guttural animalistic growl, and the glint off a metallic blade.

The impact of the dagger driving home into its intended target was sickeningly loud and abrupt; it struck the ex-waterbender in the back before he had a chance to react. His eyes widened as he felt the blade driving further inwards, hardly issuing a cry before collapsing to the ground in a heap.

At the same instant that Hiroshi was sinking his dagger into the ex-waterbender, he was snarling the words to him, "Here's your water, you little punk. This is for getting in the way of my plans—and payback to the Avatar and the street rat for all the trouble they've both caused me."

Tahno only felt numb as the dagger's blade slid out and he slumped to the ground. He barely registered the startled cries coming from around him as his consciousness started to wane. _Watch your back_, the Face Stealer had warned, and he should have taken heed of Koh's advice. Now he was sinking further into darkness, a pooling of his own blood soaking him where he lay. He was losing the last vestiges of his conscious connection to the world when his vision was overwhelmed by Korra's face leaning in close to his. As his eyes blurred, he noted the tears in her eyes.

"I'm not gonna let you die!" Korra's words echoed and faded as he sunk deeper into the darkness. He barely felt her hands turning him onto his side or her stripping his shirt off to examine the wound Hiroshi inflicted him with. His eyes shut as all feeling numbed to the point of nothingness and darkness claimed him.

XoXoX

When her father let go of her wrist, Asami couldn't seem to find the willpower to make a run for it. She could only stay where she stood, sinking to her knees as she watched, wide-eyed, as Hiroshi dug the dagger out from his jacket pocket and shoved the blade into the center of the ex-waterbender's back. Her hand tightly grasped the bag with the Moon Spirit in it—an unconscious effort to seek solace—as she watched the scene play out in horror.

When Hiroshi finished with his awful deed, he let the dagger fall to the ground, and—unbeknownst to him in that rushed moment—let the bottle of Koh's lair water slip from his pocket and land on the grass below. Asami's eyes were fixed on that bottle as Hiroshi hastily grabbed her wrist, using the disaster he just created as a distraction to drag her along with the spirit in the bag towards the pool at the center of the Oasis. Asami had nary a moment to react as she sunk into the water of the pool with her father's tight grip dragging her further and further down along with him.

Their travel downward into that pool was an awkward descent, as Hiroshi attempted to swim one-handedly with his legs doing most of the propelling, and Asami acting as a dead weight of resistance against efficiency. Eventually, however, he reached his intended goal, and passed into the realm that lay just beyond.

When both emerged on the other side, they were greeted by the figure of a woman stand on the bank of the swamp—if it could be even be called that. Asami heard Hiroshi gasp in wondrous splendor as he dragged her hastily towards that figure. Asami all the while was staring at that figure, slowly coming to the realization that the woman looked terribly familiar, just like—

"Hiroshi." The woman extended her hand to him as he drew closer. Hiroshi took it eagerly.

"My dear," he gasped, "I knew you would be waiting for me."

"If you intend to make our reunion permanent—you must hurry," Mrs. Sato told him. "I know of a spirit who can revive me like you wish. Do you still have the water you made that young man fetch for you?"

Hiroshi smiled brightly as he dug in his pocket for the little vial, frowning as he came across nothing. "Damn it—I must've dropped it."

"No worries—I know where to obtain more," Mrs. Sato assured him. During the whole of their conversation Asami could only stare at the woman who looked an awful lot like her mother incredulously. "I'll lead you there, and then to the spirit who assured me he can help us out."

"Lead the way," Hiroshi smiled again, looking at the woman with transfixed wonder. Asami was also looking at the woman, trying to figure the situation out. Tahno claimed that her mother had spoken to him—that Mrs. Sato claimed that she disapproved of Hiroshi's actions. If that was the case—was Asami really witnessing what her eyes perceived as being reality? Was the ex-bender bluffing when he made that claim? Was this woman, was she really—?

And then, Asami picked up a peculiar glint in the woman's eyes as she was hastily dragged along by her father's hand in the direction her _mother_ led them in—something that seemed to suggest that there was more to her_ mother_ than she merely appeared to be. Asami didn't debate it however; she couldn't, as she was given little choice than to comply and follow wherever the two led her. She gripped the spirit's bag tighter in her hand as she was drawn further into the depths of the Spirit World.

XoXoX

Lin awoke with terrible muscular pain and the realization of loud explosions coming from somewhere nearby. She struggled to quickly shake away the painful fatigue and get to her feet, unaware of what was looming nearby until she got to her feet. She saw her officer slowly coming back to reality with a groan, and noticed Tenzin and his sister where already on their feet. The young earthbender, Bolin, she noticed was absent.

"What—" Lin began to question, before a wind gust from Tenzin knocked her from her feet. She released a snarl in response, about to give it to the airbender angrily, until she noticed he'd knocked her out of the way just in time to avoid a spiritual strike that had been aimed directly at her.

The spectral fire left a mark on the slush where she previously stood; Lin stared at the spot, dumbfounded, until Kya's voice broke her from her spell. "Lin—we need your help. It looks like we're under spiritual attack." Kya was busy trying to hold back the fiend that had taken a strike at the metalbender with her waterbending, her strikes not as precise and calculated like they normally would be. It almost appeared as if Kya's waterbending was weaker than normal. "And it's going to take more than me and my brother to hold them back from attacking the tribe."

Lin's officer was getting to his feet just then. "Do you think what we're equipped with will be enough, chief?"

Lin looked at the dark menace Kya and Tenzin were currently duking it out with, watching them dodge out of the way or deflect the spirit fire that was emitted from the dark being. She then noticed that that wasn't the only one—that that spirit had a few other cronies of similar or larger bulk, and that they were making their way towards the icy metropolis that spread out on the opposite side of the Oasis's enclosure. The Lieutenant was busy trying to slow down their approach with the use of his kali sticks set at full power.

"Let's see how long we can hold them back with what we've got first," Lin informed him. "If they prove to be too much—we'll send for reinforcements." She adjusted her metal suit, and prepared her metal coils for battle.

XoXoX

Tahno waded in the dark depths of his mind for a time until sensation started coming back to him—and he sensed the wet application being made against the skin of his back. As it all started to come back to him, so did the pain. He cried out as he was stung by it unexpectedly, relaxing as it faded somewhat. When Tahno opened his eyes, he noticed he was lying on his side, and that there were several pairs of eyes watching him filled with worry. He winced as he tried to move, but two hands held him in place.

"Don't move, or you'll permanently damage it," Korra informed him. "I'm not done healing the wound yet, and it looks like there's a long way to go before it's fully healed."

"What happened—what'd—" Tahno croaked.

"Hiroshi stabbed you as a distraction so he could get away," he heard Shaozu say.

"Did he?" Tahno managed hoarsely.

"Unfortunately—yeah," Shaozu responded. "Along with Asami and the Moon Spirit."

"I'll be chasing him down as soon as I'm done here with you," Korra stated. "I don't know how long it'll take me to get back here, so I'm gonna restore what I should've a long time ago before I leave." He heard her shift. "Kanani, can you help me get him sitting up?"

"Yes, of course," came his mother's voice, and then two pairs of hands were gently sitting him up. Tahno winced as pain ran up his back, but tried to make little issue of it further than that. A wet _pain reliever_ slowly alleviated that as Korra came to kneel right in front of him. As she brought one hand up to his forehead, he involuntarily flinched. Korra noticed, making an effort to approach him slowly with that same said hand, as well as the other she was positioning over his heart. He could feel his heart racing as Korra concentrated on the task. His body felt awash with cosmic energy flowing through it as her eyes took on an opaque ivory glow. He closed his eyes, taking in the full impact of the sensation until it ceased.

"That should do it." Tahno opened his eyes suddenly as Korra got to her feet. "I can't stay around and keep an eye on your healing progress, or make sure that Mako's—" A startling crash above caused her to halt in midsentence. All eyes jerked up to spy out the culprit, spotting an eerie sight looming on the cliffside. Nary a sound was made as the impressive bulk of a menacing spirit dug into the cliffside, climbing its way downward at an increasing pace.

"Damn it, Korra—you need to get going _right now_ before that thing gets down here," Tahno insisted. "Go make sure that you drag that bastard back here so that he can pay for all the trouble he's caused—and make sure you get Asami back here safe and sound. I won't forgive you if you let that bastard get away, and Asami pays for it."

"I—" Korra looked uncertainly at the looming menace approaching, and then those present around her—her uncle, twin cousins, Shaozu, General Iroh, and a just realized to be alert Bolin. And then she was looking at Tahno and his mother, biting her lip before nodding. "Y-yeah, I'll go take care of that. You guys going to be able to handle _that_ while I'm gone?"

"We'll get Tenzin, Kya and Lin alert so they can help tackle that while you go take care of some business you have in the Spirit World," Iroh informed her. "In the meantime—we'll make certain that thing doesn't cause too much damage down here."

Bolin was staring at it as it started scaling the last stretch of cliff to the floor below. "What _is_ that thing?"

"I think it's Yakone," Tahno spoke up hoarsely. "Koh told me that...Hiroshi's spirit cronies would become the physical manifestation of their malevolent nature if they let themselves reach that stage. I'm guessing his sons' actions on getting him out of my mother pissed him off enough to make the permanent transition."

"Aang informed me about the details you told him about that," Korra stated. "Now that I think about it, that spirit looks exactly like one of the ones that confronted us at the Southern Water Tribe festival."

Bolin got a better look at the approaching menace, nodding in agreement. "Now that you mention it, it _does_ look familiar—doesn't it?"

"Will the other spirits also make the same transition?" Shaozu exclaimed.

"It's a possibility," Tahno replied. "Better get going, Avatar, or you won't have enough time to retrieve Asami and more water from Koh's lair and get it back here to me by midnight. If you want Mako to survive, you better make it snappy."

"No need to make the trip to Koh's lair to retrieve more. Hiroshi managed to lose this while he was busy stabbing you in the back," Korra held up the small jar of water, handing it over to the wide-eyed Tahno. "Make sure you revive him—_I _won't forgive _you_ if you let him fade away while I'm gone."

Before Korra could press forward to give chase to Hiroshi and his two Spirit World bound captives, Unalaq stepped up to halt her. Hand on her shoulder, expression grim, he said to her, "Make your trip quick, Korra, and come back here the instant everything is resolved. We'll hold the spiritual threat Yakone and the rest present back until you return, but you're the only one who can truly suppress the threat they possess to the tribe and its people. Also, if you're able to find Bakeru while you're in the Spirit World—be sure to bring that spirit back in your company. I believe you're also going to need Bakeru's help to deal with Yakone and the other vengeful spirits."

Korra looked back at her uncle with serious ocean shallows, and then nodded. Once her uncle released his hand from her shoulder, Korra turned away from him and then instantly dove into Tui and La's abode to give chase to the former businessman and his hostages.

She was gone no more than a second when a loud crash brought their attention upwards. Following sounds of a skirmish occurring above grabbed their attention, and brought the gathering to act quickly. Iroh and Desna got to work holding Yakone back while Unalaq led his daughter Eska and Bolin out of the Oasis to investigate the noise on the tundra plateau that rimmed the outer edge of the spiritual location and the water tribe capitol itself. As they disappeared, the airbending master was sent flying over the cliffside. He would have sunk headfirst into the water channel if he didn't correct himself in midair and land softly on his two feet on the spirits' island. As things above grew increasingly aggressive, Tenzin quickly approached the remaining party—Tahno, his mother and Shaozu.

"What happened down here?" Tenzin asked, grimly noticing the effort Kanani was making to heal the wound still present on her son's back.

"Sato stabbed me so he could make a quick getaway with Asami and the Moon Spirit," Tahno replied. "Korra left after she gave me back my bending. At least—I think she did anyways. I haven't taken the time to try it and see if it worked yet or not."

"Will you be okay down here while we try and subdue the spiritual threat up there?" Tenzin asked him.

"What's going on up there?" Shaozu spoke up.

"A few new spirits showed up and are wrecking havoc. My sister, Lin, her officers and the Lieutenant are trying to keep them from heading into the water tribe to prevent further damage there," Tenzin informed him. He focused again on Tahno. "Can you sit it out here while we take care of this?"

Tahno nodded. "There's not much I can do right now. Not with this back wound anyways."

"I'll leave you to your healing session, and once this is over—I'll have Kya examine you to see the extent of the damage and make sure there isn't any permanent damage." Tenzin walked over to where his discarded glider rested and picked it up. He spread its _wings_ and then took off on it.

XoXoX

It hadn't occurred to Lin when she and her officer first entered the fight that their metal suits would prove ineffective for them in the frigid cold. They were still able to use their metal coils—but efficiency in operating them properly was an issue, as the contact their suits had with their skin increased their exposure to the frigid chill and slowed them down.

"I don't think our gear is equipped for this weather," Lin's officer noted as a physical shudder ran through him. The physical reaction delayed his ability to dodge a fireball aimed at him. Tenzin redirected the spirit fire in time for it to avoid hitting the officer full force. In the distance, the Lieutenant was still giving his all to keep the other spirits from entering the water tribe, but slowly he was losing ground to them.

"I think we need to call in help," Lin informed him, retracting her coils back into their holders. "And get those biplanes in operation as soon as possible."

"Lin, do you think you can operate a plane during a blizzard?" Tenzin asked, occupied meanwhile with deflecting another supernatural fireball with an air gust. The metalbender looked at him, and then to the overcast sky. A few wind gusts picking up flurries of loose snow acted as an indicator, and she could smell a storm brewing in the air.

"If I have to—I think I can manage," Lin responded. "At this rate, that's just what we'll have to do to keep these creatures under check—if waterbending isn't going to be much help."

"_Waterbending was never going to pose me much of a threat,"_ the spirit emitted a low growl, it's eerie eyes aglow. "_And neither is airbending._" Those eyes sought out Tenzin specifically. It sent the sheer force of its spirit fire directly at the airbending master, the force of the strike sending Tenzin over the edge of the cliff side in his attempts to fend it off with his airbending. Kya let a startled gasp as her brother fell downward, but didn't get a chance to investigate when the spirit chose to target her next. She barely managed to fend off it's attack with a weakened water shield held out before her.

"I can hold them off just enough with it, but my bending has been weakened somewhat in the Moon Spirit's absence," Kya used a weakly aimed water whip to prevent another direct hit with spiritual flame. "Somebody needs to get in contact with Bumi—tell him to send in reinforcements as soon as possible."

"I want you to remain here and help while I run back to the biplane we left on the other side of the plateau," Lin informed her officer. "I'll radio Bumi and get reinforcements here ASAP."

"It looks like you could use some help up here." Before Lin could run off, she heard the approach of footfalls. The tribal chief, his daughter and Bolin soon joined them, and it was Unalaq who'd spoken. "My people are slowly emerging from the spell the spirit Bakeru had over them, and should soon be joining in the effort to keep these dark menaces at bay until Korra can return to provide a more permanent solution."

"Where did Korra go?" Kya asked, fending off another fireball. Eska and Bolin stepped in to help her out, both to provide attacks as well as a distraction in Bolin's case (with the lack of earth around to bend—)

"Into the Spirit World to pursue Hiroshi and his two captives—his daughter and the Moon Spirit," Unalaq replied.

"When should your people be coming in to provide aid?" Lin asked.

"They should be arriving shortly," Unalaq assured her.

"I was just going to run for reinforcements," Lin informed the chief. "Commander Bumi's stationed nearby, and he has some weaponry onboard his vessel that could aid us in keeping the spirits back until Korra returns."

"While you're doing that, we'll work on distracting the spirits out here until they can be subdued." Unalaq looked over to the efforts the Lieutenant was struggling to make to keep the spirits away from the tribe, stepping away from the metalbender to help aid the nonbender in his efforts. Lin's officer followed suit, arming himself with his coiled weaponry as his feet picked up the pace. The run helped alleviate some of the chill his armor affected him with.

"Can I go with you?" Bolin spoke up. He was aiming another ball of ice at the spirit to distract it from targeting Eska while Kya snuck in a halfhearted attack. Lin looked at him as if speculating the claim. He noticed. "I'm not gonna be of much use out here without anything to bend."

Lin sighed, acknowledging very well what he meant. "I guess I could use another person to manage the weapons station on board the plane once I get it airborne," she gave in. "Set aside the snowballs quickly and follow me then. We're working on a tight schedule." Bolin nodded, dropping the remaining snowballs from his hands.

Before he could join Lin, Eska stopped him. "Good luck." She leaned in and hastily kissed him on the cheek before resuming in aiding Kya in fighting with their spiritual foe. He froze in place, turning bright red until Lin barked at him to pick up the pace. He immediately broke from his mental reverie and followed the metalbender.


	32. Chapter 32

Korra found the entrance to the spirit gate rather easily, navigating through it and passing into the Spirit World in almost an instant. It was her travels once she reached the Spirit World itself that were much harder. Which direction did Hiroshi head? Had any spirits in the vicinity seen where he'd went, or were willing to inform her of the info if they knew? How much of a time advantage did he gain over her, or for that matter—how much of an overall advantage did he have? Korra didn't know, but she knew she had to find out.

While she asked any spirits she crossed paths with if they'd seen Hiroshi or Asami in their travels, Korra mentally tried thinking of where Hiroshi might be motivated to head, what he might be looking for in the Spirit World that could aid him. She knew what his mission was, and that he had Asami and the Moon Spirit in his possession, but where—

"Korra, I've been looking for you." A familiar voice took her from her ponderings. Korra looked up to see her predecessor standing a few feet away from her. "I had heard from some other spirits I crossed paths with that you were here in the Spirit World, and came searching for you after I learned of it."

"Aang," Korra was suddenly struck by a wave of relief. "Have you seen Hiroshi? Did you see where he's headed—and was Asami still with him, as well as the Moon Spirit?"

"That's why I've been searching for you. I wanted to inform you of the direction Hiroshi was being led—and who was leading him." Korra looked off to Aang's side, just noticing the presence of a rather pretty woman standing there. A woman that looked awfully familiar—

"Led—led where, and by whom?" Korra quizzically inquired, not able to take her eyes off the woman next to him.

"Hiroshi believes that his wife's spirit is leading him towards where he can obtain more of that Spirit World water he seeks—the very same water that he lost before his arrived in the Spirit World," Aang informed her.

"But she isn't who she appears to be," the woman spoke up. "And where she's leading my husband and daughter...Avatar Korra, you must go and retrieve my Asami from her father's grips before it's too late and she's stuck here. I can't stand the thought of my daughter ending up stranded in the Spirit World forever."

"You're...Asami's mother?" Korra exclaimed, it finally clicking why the woman seemed vaguely familiar even though she was certain they had never met.

"Avatar Korra, you must hurry before Asami ends up facing a terrible fate and is trapped here forever," Mrs. Sato insisted desperately. "Please make sure my daughter safely escapes this place before time runs out."

"Who could've convinced Hiroshi that she was you—?" Korra halted in mid-thought when she realized the answer grimly to herself. "It's Bakeru isn't it? Why'd he take your form—and where is he leading him?" Mrs. Sato didn't give an answer, instead grabbing the young Avatar's hand abruptly with hers and desperately leading the way forwards.

XoXoX

Tahno's attention was brought back towards the bottle in his hands. He held it tightly as he painfully struggled to his feet. Kanani tried to keep him sitting, but he shook his head.

"I need to get this over to Mako," Tahno held up the bottle, the water sloshing around inside it. "Can you help me to my feet?"

"Yeah, sure," Shaozu gave his friend his hand and helped him up. Kanani hastily followed his movements, pressing her healing water to his wound even as he got to his feet and struggled over towards where Mako lay with help from his teammate. Drowning out all the chaotic sounds going on all around him, he slowly walked over towards the unconscious firebender one step at a time. Once he reached Mako's side, Tahno painfully knelt beside him, fumbling with the stopper of the jar until he unstoppered it. He titled the bottle so as not to spill out it's contents, and then just stared at it.

He felt Shaozu's hand on his shoulder. "What're you waiting for?"

Tahno looked at his friend. "I—I'm not sure I know what to do."

"What'd you need to do with that water, splash it on him or something?" Shaozu looked down at Mako.

Tahno shook his head. "I'm supposed to combine it with some Spirit Oasis water and then use it to heal him, but—I'm not sure if I-I remember how to...use my bending exactly."

"It shouldn't be that hard for you to figure out, man. Outside the past several months, you've been waterbending practically your whole life," Shaozu reminded him.

Tahno stared at the small bottle. "I-I—"

"It goes something like this," Tahno was startled when his mother intertwined her fingers with his and brought their hands up. "It's all in the movements—flexible, flowing." She gently guided his hand gestures, and he allowed her to. Slowly but surely, a small column of water rose from the surface of the pond and was drawn their way. Tahno couldn't help but be transfixed by it as the water drew nearer.

"Am I doing that, or are you?" Tahno questioned his mother. Kanani smiled warmly at him.

"That's all your doing," she told him. "Now—just remember what I taught you when you were younger. It should come back to you—its something you never forget once you've learned it."

Tahno was sent back to memories from his childhood, when his mother first began teaching him waterbending. The scene of the seaside, the basic waterbending techniques she taught him while the two were baking under the midday sun. The laughter that escaped him as they got into a splashing war with one another—the sound of his mother's laughter ringing like a bell while she gleefully acknowledged that her son was learning quickly as she avoided being splashed in the face. And then it faded quickly, and he saw the globe of water suspended above his palm—his mother's fingers now separated from his. He marveled at the sight before him, almost too entranced to recall its purpose or what he needed to do next.

"Are you just going to sit there staring at it all day?" Shaozu's voice broke him from his reverie. Tahno shook his head, mingling Koh's lair water with the Oasis water and fighting to keep the enlarged globe suspended. He tried calling up more from his memories, recalling what he needed to do next. Slowly but surely he brought that watery globe closer to the unconscious firebender, carefully unbuttoning his shirt and pulling back the fabric with his free hand. Tahno then brought the water down just above the center of Mako's chest, and stopped.

"Kya showed me what to do, but I don't remember what she told me to do from here exactly," Tahno looked at his mother helplessly. Kanani smiled at him reassuringly, bringing her hand next to his.

"It's not that hard. You care about him deeply, don't you?" Kanani looked her son in the eye.

"Y-yeah," Tahno stammered, somewhat embarrassed at the admission.

"Well, healing is an ability that comes from the heart. It's taking all that's within you—your feelings, emotions—and manifests them in a form—compassion—that you then apply into your waterbending. All _you_ have to do is reach inside, discover those feelings, and then try to apply them here." She put her palm above his hand. "Just try it." Tahno looked at his mother critically for a moment, but then sighed heavily and attempted to do as she suggested.

XoXoX

The craft was right where Lin had left it. While Lin got busy operating the radio on board the plane, Bolin scraped off the ice and slush that had accumulated on the wings, in the seats, on the controls, and anywhere else it needed to be cleared from.

"Can anyone hear me?" Lin called into the receiver. At first it crackled with static.

"Lin, is that you?" Bumi's voice came over the radio after several moments' pause and static.

"Yes, we're going to need you to send in reinforcements. Send in the remaining biplanes and a few of your people," Lin reported. "The spirits aiding Hiroshi have taken on physical manifestations and are targeting the water tribe. We're hoping to hold them back until they can be permanently dealt with."

"I'll send them out right away," Bumi responded. "I'll be out there to help you guys in a short while as well. How're my siblings faring?"

"Tenzin was taking a few blows last I checked, and Kya's waterbending has become less effective due to a certain spiritual factor," Lin informed him. From the other end she heard short, hearty laughter above the crackling.

"Looks like they need their big bro to step in and be the hero," Bumi replied heartily. In a more serious tone, "The young waterbender came back with Ten's skybison. Said reinforcements were needed. The planes are ready for takeoff and are just waiting for the command from me. I'll be sending them out shortly—and I'll be joining them on Oogi. I can't sit this out, and I can utilize Ten's skybison in flight almost as good as he can."

"Get going then," Lin replied. "I'd prefer not wasting time with our communication."

"That's the Lin I know well—always wanting to get straight to the point," Bumi mused. "We'll see you shortly." The connection concluded with sharp crackling before Lin turned it off.

"Is the plane cleared off of enough ice for takeoff?" Lin inquired from the young earthbender in her company. Bolin popped up by her side.

"I think so," Bolin replied. "Won't know for sure until we give it a try."

"Climb in then and get situated," Lin informed him. She climbed into the pilot's seat as he got into the one behind her. She fingered the switches. "Let's see if she'll fly."

XoXoX

The territory the woman that looked eerily similar to her mother was leading Asami and her father towards grew more and more foreboding the further they travelled. Asami felt a growing sense of apprehension as they pushed towards wherever they were heading, a feeling that grew until it practically almost overwhelmed her rational mind. It only grew worse once they left the swamp and entered a territory that appeared more barren and sinister than the last.

They climbed higher and higher on an incline until they passed through a fog layer at ground level—or at least was seemingly so. Upon passing that fog bank, Asami realized they were approaching a cliff edge that broke up the environment before them.

Asami's eyes darted around the premises, her ears ever on the alert for any sort of sound. She noticed it was uncannily silent, and that a more barren and irregular landscape colored in similar tones to the ocher sky overhead stretched out in all directions around them. And at the center of it all, past towering pillars of earth that acted as stepping stones leading towards it, stood one monstrosity of a twisted, upside down tree.

"The water you're seeking my dear," the woman looked to Hiroshi as she spoke, pointing towards that tree all the while. "Can be found there."

Alarm bells were going off in Asami's mind as they hopped from one earthy pillar to the next; growing louder and more persistent once they made it across to the base of that scary looking tree. Asami's _mother_ persistently led them forward, showing them towards a cavern that ran beneath the tree. Asami looked towards her father to see if he might also be showing signs of apprehension in approaching this ominous subterranean domain, but Hiroshi showed no signs of anxiety on his face, only looking to the woman that looked remarkably like her mother with captivated awe.

Asami's eyes darted hastily around as the woman led them further, the warning bells practically screaming in her ears now. It only got worse when her eyes landed on something moving, the back of some creature that was leaning forward to grab something off the cavern floor. Why, she asked her mind. It looks to be only some kind of monkey—

And then Asami realized the reason why when the monkey turned to investigate their approach. Or, at least what could have been interpreted as curiosity to do so—if the creature had had a face. Where it should have had eyes, a nose, a mouth—Asami realized with horror that they were all absent, that where there should be a face there was only a _blank canvas_—

Asami refused to go any further and stopped right there in her tracks, creating resistance against her father's grip. Hiroshi turned to look at her murderously, demanding, "Why are you holding us up? Keep moving, you insolent girl!"

"Leave her here, Hiroshi. There's nowhere for her to run, and we can retrieve her once we obtain the water you need on our way back," _Mrs. Sato_ insisted, tugging on Hiroshi's hand. The former businessman looked again to his so-called _wife _ with an expression of wonder transforming his face. He nodded, releasing Asami's hand almost instantly and following the woman further down the tunnel.

Asami followed at a cautious distance, curious to see where her _mother_ was leading her father, with her thoughts mixed over believing that she was indeed helping Hiroshi out with his plans or luring him into a trap. She clutched the spirit-trapped bag tightly in her hand, as if for some form of reassurance for whatever might happen next.

The tunnel twisted and turned several times more before it reached a point where she saw the woman bring her father to a halt in his footsteps. Asami peered from around a nearby corner, obscuring her presence as much as possible while still making certain she could see what was going on. She saw that Hiroshi didn't seemed bothered by the fact that they had stopped, his eyes on the woman facing him the whole time as if she had him caught in a trance. The woman who looked so eerily looked like her mother was facing her direction, Hiroshi's back turned to her. Asami's eyes connected with the woman's eyes, noticing a growing sense of melancholic sadness lingering in those familiar eyes as they stared back at her.

The woman then closed her eyes and took a few steps away from her supposed husband. She held a neutral expression even as Hiroshi issued a startled gasp and reached out for her. He took a few steps towards her until he was suddenly frozen in place by the arrival of the labyrinth's inhabitant.

As she slipped further away from him, the woman told him one last thing: "In all truth, Hiroshi—I never wanted you to resurrect me. The very concept would go against the laws of nature."

"We finally come_ face_ to _face_." The putrid creature spoke to Hiroshi as it teetered on its rows of spindly, centipede-like appendages. Hiroshi reacted by uttering one sharp, intense cry before he fell silent.

All the while, the woman was backing further into the shadows behind the monstrous creature until she disappeared into them completely. Asami didn't know if she really saw it or if it was a trick of the eye, but as the woman slowly sank into the shadows, she could have sworn she saw her shape shifting slowly into something cat-like in appearance, the last thing to be seen a pair of intelligent, ancient eyes watching her from the shadows. And then even those faded completely into the darkness as she watched the spectacle play out with awed terror. She was staring forward while frozen in place—at least until her father turned to face her.

The sight too hideous to bear, Asami turned away from it, clutching the bag with the Moon Spirit in it as she began to scream.

XoXoX

The Lieutenant had been facing four menacing spirits before help arrived to aid him. His kali sticks had proven to be effective weapons against the dark, looming menaces, the shock they provided enough to temporarily stun the massive creatures. But his weaponry relied on a battery charge, and that charge was running low on power. He was fortunate that the citizens of the water tribe stepped in when they did; his kali sticks were emitting their last sparks, and one unarmed man against four supernatural beasts was no contest.

They fought against the spirits with both their weakened waterbending forms and weaponry they brought with them. They proved to be effective enough to hold the spirits back from invading their tribe, but even so—they were still losing ground to them.

The tribal chief stepped in with a raised watery shield to take a strike aimed directly at the Lieutenant when his weapons completely ran of juice.

"Looks like you ran out of power," Unalaq noted, dropping the water shield. The Lieutenant nodded while _re-sheathing_ his kali sticks on his back holster. Unalaq looked over to where his daughter and Kya were dealing with the other spirit near the Oasis, eyes catching sight of the mecha still sitting there like a behemoth of a metallic statue. "Do you know if there's a way to utilize Hiroshi's mecha in our favor until Korra returns?"

"To my knowledge, Hiroshi's mecha requires spiritual power to operate," The Lieutenant replied.

"Is there any way it can be used in some form to aid us?" Unalaq inquired, fending off another strike from the spirit.

"I can investigate it internally, see if there's some way it can be used without a spirit powering it," The Lieutenant responded.

"_The machine takes spirit power, does it?" _The spirit Unalaq was currently tackling mused in a gruff voice. "_That could be very __**useful**_."

"I don't think so," Unalaq put in all the effort he could muster to prevent the spirit from advancing in the direction of the mecha. Angered by the maneuver, the spirit turned on the tribal chief, fettering Unalaq's wrists in dark energy and lifting him hastily from the ground. The chief struggled against the spirit's restraints. All the while shouting at the Lieutenant, "Go and see if you can make that mecha useful. Hurry!"

While the Lieutenant was narrowly escaping the spirit's attempts at capturing him as well and bolting in the mecha's direction at full speed, the sky above filled with mechanical noise as several biplanes arrived on the scene. There also came the enthusiastic shouting of one mighty man mounted on the back of a skybison. The Lieutenant heard the drop of a missile or two while he climbed up the side of the mecha and pried open the hatch.

XoXoX

Asami's mother covered a short distance with the young Avatar in tow before reaching the bulk of a skybison that happened to be waiting there for them. Korra looked at Appa and then at Aang, who was just catching up to them. He nodded in Appa's direction, a wordless signal to climb on the skybison's back. After a moment's hesitation, Korra complied. Aang and Mrs. Sato followed suit, and then Appa was off at a signal from Aang. The Spirit World landscape passed by in a blur below them as they gained altitude, and many moments passed by as they continued their flight forward.

And then, finally, Aang signaled Appa into landing, and Korra realized exactly where they were heading. She felt building anxiety as she looked up towards the ocher sky and the familiar scenery before her. She understood now why Mrs. Sato was in such a rush—her insistence on getting to Asami before something could happen. They were currently parked at the base of Koh's tree, the sinister tree's presence pressing the urgency in which Korra needed to act in that situation. She disembarked from Appa's back and rushed towards the place where she knew the entrance to the Face Stealer's lair existed.

As she hurriedly traveled down through the twisted caverns in search of her friend's whereabouts, Korra could only wonder why Bakeru would lead Asami and her father right into the hands of the Face Stealer. The nerves in the young Avatar's gut twisted up horribly when a loud, abrupt scream was emitted from somebody somewhere down the way, and she pressed her legs to run faster.

_That sounded like Asami—_Korra increased her pace, her footfalls echoing off the walls around her. She came to a halt when she suddenly reached a particular turn, and heard sobbing. She turned the corner, and spotted Asami crumpled on the ground, hands drawn to her face as she sobbed.

"Asami!" Korra cried as she knelt by her side. Asami brought her face out from her hands, eyes shimmering with tears, before she abruptly wrapped her arms around the young Avatar and continued to sob on her shoulder. Korra drew her in, hugging her tightly as she continued to cry. "What happened, Asami?" Korra asked after letting the other young woman sob a time. "Where's Hiroshi?"

"Your time is running out for your departure, Avatar Korra," she suddenly heard Koh's voice echoing off the cavern walls. She looked up, her eyes darting around quickly. The Face Stealer was nowhere in sight.

"What happened here?" Korra demanded from him. "What happened to Hiroshi?"

"What was supposed to happen," Koh stated cryptically. "If neither you or the young woman with you wishes to be trapped in the Spirit World until the next solstice or be stuck _facing _me for an eternity, you might wish to make your departure from here rather quickly." After a pause, the Face Stealer added, "Young Avatar—one last task still awaits you back there, so you better make sure to hurry in so you can _deal_ with it before the water tribe is devastated to ruin as a result."

"He's right," Korra looked up to see Asami's mother standing there. "You need to leave, now."

"Mother...is that really you? O-or are you only an imposter?" Asami stammered, sobbing as she stared at the woman with watery verdant eyes.

"Yes, Asami, it's really me," Mrs. Sato reassured her. Asami shot up to her feet in a hurry and embraced her mother.

"Who was that other woman? Was that you leading us towards _that_ the whole time?" Asami sobbed into her mother's shoulder.

"I'll explain it to you on the way back," Mrs. Sato withdrew her daughter from her shoulder. "Time is of the essence, and I don't want you to be trapped here forever."

Asami nodded, wiping her face as Mrs. Sato took the lead. Koh's laughter echoed off the walls of his lair as they were leaving. Korra couldn't wait to get away from the Face Stealer's lair as the trio made their way out of the foreboding labyrinth, passing by a few of Koh's faceless victims along the way. Korra saw Asami cover her eyes with each one they passed, an indication of what the young woman had witnessed back there that she hadn't had the nerve to explain to the young Avatar. Korra could only cringe at the very thought of what she assumed Asami saw, sighing in wondrous relief when they reached the mouth of the lair and saw Aang waiting there with Appa.

The three mounted onto the great skybison's back. Aang joined them not a moment later, and gave Appa the signal to take off.

"Mother, w-who was that other woman? I-if she wasn't you, t-then who was s-she?" Asami asked her mother as she held fast onto the skybison's back.

"That was the spirit that was working with your father before Avatar Korra and her predecessor Avatar Aang managed to convince her not to—the spirit your father called Bakeru," Mrs. Sato explained to her daughter.

"Wait—Bakeru's a _she?"_ Korra exclaimed incredulously. Mrs. Sato nodded. "Hey, so—do you know why Bakeru was leading Hiroshi towards Koh's lair in the first place?"

"Kuruk told me that he was informed by Koh to summon Bakeru to his lair, and that it was under Koh's instruction that Hiroshi was to be led there—that Koh had plans for him there. Koh had another reason to summon Bakeru there, but Kuruk didn't give me those specifics. Kuruk told me that Koh promised him his fiancée's freedom if he could fulfill Koh's request," Aang informed her. "When we return to the Spirit Gate, Bakeru said she'd meet up with us there. Koh informed her that there is one task she needs to help you out with once the three of you arrive back in the Spirit Oasis and the Moon Spirit is returned to where she belongs once more."

Mrs. Sato spoke up. "I don't know how much longer the Moon Spirit will survive in that bag, but I'm afraid she might not survive for much longer once you've returned to the mortal realm."

"Also—the Moon Spirit's absence has had an effect on waterbending back there," Aang added. "It also has had an effect on the water that comes from the pond she and La reside in. The healing potential the water in their pond possesses is altered by that absence."

Korra's mind was reminded of Hiroshi's divertive escape tactic at the mention of the healing water. "Tahno." She sighed. "Yeah—I'll make sure to get the Moon Spirit back where she belongs pronto."

They arrived near the Spirit Gate a moment later. Aang helped the three disembark from Appa's back before taking off. Korra let Asami get in her last farewells with her mother before Mrs. Sato parted company with them. Korra then led Asami the rest of the way.

Right beside where the two intended to make their exit, there waited a creature with a mixture of cat-like and fox-like features: big, rounded intelligent golden cat-like eyes on a fox-like face, the body—which was large and muscular—a unique blend of the two. The creature's fur was luxuriantly long and ruddy hued, its tail shooting out from its rear like a delicate, furry snake, twitching with excitable energy. It reminded Korra of a larger, more ferocious version of Pabu—at least, it did in a way bear somewhat of a resemblance to the fire ferret anyways—

"Avatar Korra," the voice emitted from the creature was resonating yet familiar. In an instant the young Avatar recognized the creature.

"Bakeru," Korra uttered. "I wasn't expecting that to be your true form."

"We don't have time to ponder over that, Avatar Korra," Bakeru alerted her. "While you were preoccupied in Koh's lair, I took that time to quickly observe what was going on back in the Spirit Oasis, and it's time we got back there and restored things back to the way they should be."

Korra smiled, taking Asami's hand. "I couldn't agree with you more."

XoXoX

Mako continued to sob into his mother's comforting shoulder, hearing the hushed murmurs of reassurance she made as he continued to cry. He would have continued to do so if his mother's comforts weren't fading—the sense of her warmth slowly leaving him, dragging him back into the void of darkness that previously claimed him. He cried out in startled alarm as it all was taken from him, and he was left in numbing blankness.

And then, all of a sudden—sensation started to return to him, and Mako mentally rejoiced at that thought. He felt his essence being lifted from the burdens of darkness and drawn back towards light—toward reality.

He opened his eyes slowly and took in the world that lay beyond his sight. Hovering over him he saw a smiling face—a face filled with warmth and love. His mother's face, her honey auburn eyes looking down at him comfortingly. He felt his lips twist in a smile in acknowledgement; he wanted to reach for her, embrace her and cling to his mother's warmth once more.

The illusion he saw before him was abruptly washed away when he was suddenly jolted awake by something wet splashing him in the face. In response Mako shot up rapidly—a little _too_ rapidly. His head hammering with a throbbing pain, he clenched his eyes shut quickly, bringing his hand to his head out of instinct. In the distance he heard what sounded like crashes and explosions, but couldn't make sense of it. "What—?"

"Hey, Fireboy—how're you feeling?" Mako quickly opened his eyes to see Tahno beside him. Mako felt a weird, yet soothing sensation at the side of his face; he turned his eyes to see Tahno's hand there, the culprit of that sensation wrapped around his palm. Mako had to blink a few times to be certain he was really seeing what he thought he was seeing.

"Is that—are you—?" Mako stared dumbly at the icy-eyed young man right beside him.

Tahno looked at his hand and grinned. "Yeah—I am."

"K-Korra returned you bending?" Mako exclaimed. "Wait—what's going on? Where am I, or for that matter where are Asami, that friend of yours that was abducted along with me—or that bastard Hiroshi?"

"I'm right here," Shaozu piped up, Mako realizing he was there for the first time.

"Hiroshi's plan's been mostly foiled, and you slept through it," Tahno explained. "Hiroshi's abducted Asami and is dragging her all over the Spirit World looking for a new solution while Korra's chasing after him."

"How long have I been out?" Mako lay down on his back, bringing his hand to his temple as he dealt with a headache. "What day is it?"

"You've been out nearly a week," Tahno brought his water encased hand towards Mako's pained temple. "Today's the solstice."

"The solstice!?" Mako exclaimed. "Didn't you guys cut it a bit close there?"

"It's just how it ended up working out," Tahno replied. "So, Mako—are you feeling alright or what?"

Mako slowly sat up. "Yeah, I think so. I just feel a little weary is all."

"That's good." Tahno smiled genuinely. "I-I was hoping I—we'd get you out of this unscathed."

"Yeah," Mako rubbed his forehead one more time. Tahno brought his hand up again, thinking the firebender needed more pain relief, but Mako smiled reassuringly. "I'm feeling fine, really."

"Good." Tahno dropped his hand and looked at him.

"Tahno?" Mako broke the silence.

"Yeah?" Tahno answered.

"Do you have any idea why I've been unconscious this whole time?" Mako asked him.

"I-it has something to do with that...ahem—_energy transference_ thing. It—um...linked our chi together, and...um—after Hiroshi did a number to you back in Republic City, it...um—connected us in a way that...if I went down—you would've gone down along with me." Tahno couldn't look him in the eye, Mako noticed.

"Hey, um—Tahno?" Mako got him to look at him finally. "Do you know if that...linked us in more ways than just that? Like um—through dreams, consciousnesses or something?"

"Dreams?" Tahno looked embarrassed all of a sudden. "M-Mako, while you were out, you didn't by chance happen to have a—" He paused in midsentence, wincing sharply. He brought his hand to his face, digging his fingers into his forward falling dark locks of hair as he pressed his palm to his face.

"Tahno, honey—are you feeling okay?" Kanani's concerned voice came from over her son's shoulder. Mako was just starting to notice Tahno's mother's presence there.

"Mom—j-just keep up with the healing, t-the dizziness should pass soon if y-you keep it up," Tahno replied, hand still clutching his dark locks.

"Healing?" Mako stared at him, noticing for the first time that the icy-eyed young man was currently shirtless, which caused Mako to wonder why until he was drawn to the conclusion that it had something to do with the task Kanani was currently undertaking.

"Hiroshi wanted to kill me to get back at you and Korra when his plans fell through, so he tried by stabbing me in the back—literally," Tahno removed his hand from his face and looked at Mako. His face was paler than usual, Mako noticed with concern. "It's nothing really. It hurts a little, but my mom's working on trying to heal—" Whatever color remained in his face drained from it before his eyelids started to weigh heavily over his eyes. Not a moment later they slid shut and he slumped forward. Mako reacted quickly and caught Tahno before he could fall face first to the ground.

It was then that Mako got his first glimpse of the wound in question, a gaping hole at the center of Tahno's back. Kanani hurriedly was applying her healing over top it, while Shaozu insisted that Mako help him lie his waterbending friend down on his side. Mako helped Shaozu out, and then stared at the icy-eyed young man with deep concern, ignoring the lightning blasts that were coming from fairly close by.

"Was it this bad when he first received it?" Mako exclaimed as Kanani feverishly got to work.

"It's a little bit better than it was," Mako saw the concern flash in her eyes. "I was led to believe that Spirit Oasis water had special healing properties—that it could rapidly heal more serious wounds—and was even responsible for bringing Avatar Aang back from the brink of death after he was dealt a near-fatal lightning strike in the back. I-I don't know why it's not being as effective for me right now. This wound—it should be healing faster than it is if there's any truth to those tales."

Mako didn't have an answer to give her; he wasn't all that familiar with the Spirit Oasis or the special properties of its water. He could only hope that the effort being made with it was enough to keep Tahno alive—that Hiroshi's last wish wouldn't end up being partially fulfilled with Tahno's death.

XoXoX

The Lieutenant climbed down inside the hatch of the mecha one step at a time until he reached the expansive inner compartment. He immediately headed for the controls; looking for the proper buttons to activate the machine, see if there was a way to utilize it for their purposes against the spiritual threat. Before he could flip one switch, a cold chill ran up his spine, and his hand froze in place—along with the rest of him.

"The machine won't operate without spiritual energy to aide it," the Lieutenant's voice informed him.

"Why are you possessing me? Who are you—tell me!" the Lieutenant demanded.

"Noatak—formerly of the Northern Water Tribe, and formerly known as Amon," he got in response. The possessor then went on to tell the Lieutenant his story: how he and Tarrlok were related and their ties to Yakone—the lead spirit currently rampaging the outer barrier of the Spirit Oasis in his fully transformed state who was formerly the feared crimelord of Republic City's past—and who just happened to also be their father.

Once Noatak was finished, the Lieutenant reclaimed his voice. "If the machine requires a spirit in order to operate, what use is it?"

"It still has a use," Noatak spoke through the Lieutenant again. "It has one more purpose before it needs to be destroyed, and the spirit who'll be needed to power it will be returning shortly to do so."

"What can I do with it in the meantime?" the Lieutenant questioned.

"Wait here until she returns," Noatak informed him. "You're the only other person who knows how to operate it, and in order to utilize its weaponry, somebody needs to man the controls now that Hiroshi's been incapacitated."

"Should I trust your word?" the Lieutenant inquired a bit dubiously.

"I'm doing this to repent for my sins," Noatak informed him. "Sins Yakone instilled in me as a child and through his own blood. Stopping him will help me achieve that goal."

The Lieutenant gained control so he could nod his head. "I know a little something about repenting for one's sins. I'll do as you say this one last time. I only hope you're not deceiving me like the last time."

"I promise that I'm not." The Lieutenant then felt the chill upon his spine leaving him, and control was his again. He did as his former leader commanded—waiting for his signal to act when the time arrived.

XoXoX

While planes buzzed by above and bomb blasts sounded somewhere in the distance, Iroh was fully concentrating on the physical manifestation of Yakone's malevolent spiritual form, trying to halt his approach into the Spirit Oasis. With the help of the water tribe prince Desna, they managed to keep Yakone at bay.

Not to say they didn't receive some _battle scars_ in the process. Desna was dealing with an injured shoulder, which he received when Yakone managed to grab him early in the fight in his dark spiritual coils and toss the young prince against the rocky wall of the Oasis a few times before a lightning strike from Iroh managed to free him. Iroh himself was favoring some tenderness in his neck from when Yakone sent him flying across the Oasis to harshly impact the wall across the way with enough force to disorient him a few moments.

Both had gotten to their feet quickly and fought back while being careful to avoid any further glancing blows. Iroh was shooting the spirit with all the lightning he could muster, while Desna soaked Yakone with water to enhance the effect. Yakone shook off the last _shock_, detaching from his rocky fixture to crash land the rest of the way into the water channel below.

"_Enough of this! I will have my vengeance for everything that's been taken from me! Nothing's going to stop me from achieving that—__**nothing**__!" _Yakone shrieked in a resonating, unnatural voice. Fury emanated off him in dark waves, his _eyes_ glowing a ferocious reddish hue. "_I will destroy those two boys and devastate the Avatar for all the trouble they've inflicted me with!_"

Everyone present and aware inside the Oasis could feel the dark energy as it rolled over them, nearly paralyzing them. Desna sunk to his knees as he dealt with an agonizing headache while Iroh struggled to stay standing. With his eyes at half slits, Iroh tried to attempt one more lightning strike against the malevolent spirit. The dark resonance was weakening his strength, but his determination stayed steadfast.

Iroh got in that last strike with a smile.

It brought he and his allies a temporary reprieve from Yakone's spiritual assault. Iroh looked across the water towards the verdant central island to see the trio crowded around the young waterbender with the stab wound, grateful that the young man's mother was steadfastly healing her son while the other two looked to not be suffering too many repercussions.

Without warning the spirit reoriented his previous stance and was back in form. This time Iroh didn't have the strength to strike back. He was about to sink to his knees and fall from the walkway into the nearby water channel when the dark enchantment was yet again broken. He was shaking away the disorientation when he heard shouting across the way.

"It's time to bring an end to this, Yakone." Standing next to the sacred pond of the spirits, a large fox-like creature by her side, her eyes white and the air around her shifting her hair in billows, was the Avatar. "Hiroshi's finished, and now it's time to lay you and the others to rest." For a brief instant, Korra looked to the side opposite the one with the large fox-like creature. "Asami, please return the Moon Spirit where she belongs—and do it carefully."

Asami nodded, getting on her knees by the pond side and bringing the bag in her hand before her. While she untied the bag and brought it below the pond's surface, Korra moved away from the party and stepped towards the water of the channel surrounding the verdant island—practically walking _on top_ of it. Water met up with each footstep she took, supporting her weight as she crossed over it. Her hair continued to billow upwards like a halo around her head as she pressed forward. In a booming voice that sounded so unlike her own, "_Yakone, you possess something that doesn't belong to you, and that you no longer have the right to borrow. It's time you returned that to its original owner_."

Following in Korra's steps came the fox-like creature, halting when it came to stand beside the young Avatar. It dwarfed Korra in height, her head just reaching the tip of the creature's shoulder blade.

"When you were alive, you were given something that you used to terrorize the people of Republic City. It was given to you as a tool for retribution, but the one who gave it to you no longer desires that need for revenge. In your death it's given you power that none of the other spirits possessed, and allowed you to act out your desires almost to the extent that you wanted them to. But—I'm not going to allow you to achieve the goal that you've spent _years _angrily boiling over. You're not going to harm my friends to get what you want, and I'm not going to give you the opportunity to bring an end to the Avatar—to_** me**_."

Iroh watched as Korra fearlessly pressed forward until she reached the dark malevolent spirit that once in life was the crimelord Yakone, the creature beside her following her in even paces. She came to a halt right in front of the fearsome spirit, placing one hand on the dark essence while resting the other on the fox-like creature's back. What followed was a blinding light too bright for Iroh to continuing watching. Even with his eyelids closed, the light seeped through, giving him illumination even as his eyes were shuttered.

Finally the bright illumination ceased, and Iroh could reopen his eyes. What he saw was an aura of ruddy light surrounding the fox-like creature, and before the young Avatar a transparent apparition of a man standing there. The man reached out, trying to claw at Korra and her oversized companion, but his insubstantial hands passed right through the Avatar, and slowly he faded to nothing.

Korra retraced her steps back towards the central pond; her hair halo laying down as her feet met solid ground. The ivory light in her eyes faded back to her normal ocean shallows, and she stood there, taking in the reality around her as if for the first time since her arrival. Her eyes landed on one soul and she rushed over towards him, embracing him tightly while releasing a happy cry.

"You're alive, you're alive—pretty boy revived you like he said he would!" Korra was laughing in spite of herself, clinging tightly to the firebender in her grip. "I think a part of me thought he wouldn't do it to spite me, but you're alive—"

"Korra—" Mako's voice as he spoke in her ear was sorrowed, regretful. He sounded choked. "I-I don't know if there anything you can do, b-but—" He struggled not to sob while in her arms, she could tell.

Korra pulled away from him, her jubilance all but completely lost. "Mako—what's going on?" She saw something in his auburn eyes when they connected with hers.

"The stab wound—I don't think it's healing," Mako told her. "Tahno—after all that's happened...I'm afraid we might lose him." He looked off to the side. "Kanani said the Spirit Oasis water's supposed to have special healing properties, but...I don't think it's working."

Korra looked over towards where Mako's eyes were directed, and saw the icy-eyed waterbender lying unconscious on his side on the other side of the pond from them. Kanani was feverishly trying to heal the wound on her son's back, something in her eyes desperate and pleading when they met with the Avatar's.

"Let me see it," Korra got to her feet and knelt beside Kanani. The Avatar drew a small wealth of water from the spirits' pond and applied it to the wound on Tahno's back. "It should work now that the Moon Spirit is back where she belongs." The water below her hand gave off a pale blue glow. She kept her hand above the wound until she heard loud crashes and explosions from above.

"I think it should work now," Korra told Kanani. "I—need to go finish up something." She looked to the sky; in the Spirit Oasis they were sheltered from it, but looking upwards, Korra saw that a blizzard was currently in the making, on the verges of becoming something serious. "There are still some spirits I need to take care of before they can destroy everything. I'll see if I can find Kya while I'm up there...and send her down her to investigate that wound."

"Good luck," she turned to see Mako standing beside her, a faint somber smile on his face. Quickly she drew him near and kissed him. She pulled apart from him and moved towards the fox-like creature's side.

"Bakeru and I have some business to attend to. I'll...be back when I can," Korra felt tears building in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. "Be safe." She then turned away from him, from them—and went to finish up what needed to be done.


End file.
